The service is now open for bookings with appointments available at hundreds of sites across the UK, including three main vaccination centres and 13 additional sites run by Oxford Health in Buckinghamshire, Oxford and Reading.

The NHS has made the vaccine available for all 5 to 11s following updated JCVI guidance, which recommended all children would benefit from a non-urgent offer of the vaccine, with almost five million now eligible.

NHS staff have already been vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 who have medical conditions that put them at increased risk from COVID-19 or who live with someone with a weakened immune system, and more than three in five 12 to 15 year olds have also come forward for a jab.

Most appointments for this age group will be available at local vaccination centres outside of school hours and are available to book through the online booking service or by calling 119. In addition, parents can speak directly to the Paediatric team if they have any concerns, or want to discuss making a booking, via the following numbers:

Buckinghamshire 07826 922104

Oxford 07826 922121

Berkshire 07517 571874

Joanna Crawley, Oxford Health’s Paediatric Clinical Lead for the vaccination service, said: “Vaccination is the best defence against COVID-19 and our teams are ready to welcome parents and children to the vaccination centres where vaccinations will be administered by specially trained and qualified staff in a child friendly environment.

“I would urge parents to make an appointment at the earliest opportunity and, if they have any concerns at all to read the NHS information. Our staff are also experienced in helping anyone who arrives at one of our centres who is nervous or unsure for any reason.”

The NHS will be adding more appointments throughout the week so anyone unable to get a convenient slot initially should keep trying.

The NHS will also be sending invites to parents and guardians of eligible children throughout the next few weeks to let them know they can now book in for a vaccine and some people will be invited by their GP.

The JCVI has advised that all children aged between 5 to 11 will be offered two 10 microgram doses, a third of the strength given to all over the age of 12, of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty®) with an interval of at least 12 weeks between doses (or 8 weeks for children who have medical conditions that put them at increased risk from COVID-19 or who live with someone with a weakened immune system.)

Families will be given a vaccination record card once their child has been vaccinated and are asked to keep this in a safe place. The vaccination record card provides the name of the vaccine, batch number and the date the vaccine was given.