Covid jabs for under 12s at Wolverhampton's Mander Centre clinic

The clinic, on the Upper Mall, is offering free vaccinations to youngsters aged five to 11 on weekdays between 3pm and 5.30pm, Saturdays from 9am to 5.30pm and Sundays from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

Children aged five to 11 are eligible for a first and second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Children can get a first dose of the vaccine from the day they turn five, and most children can get a second dose 12 weeks after the first.

If the child has a condition that means they are at high risk from Covid-19 or they live with someone who has a weakened immune system, they can get the second dose eight weeks after their first.

Walk-in appointments are available, or they can be booked online at bit.ly/3dtsler or by calling 119.

Five to 11-year-olds must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Wolverhampton Council's cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "The number of cases of Covid-19 in Wolverhampton, and nationally, has been gradually rising over the last few days, and so it remains important that people think about getting vaccinated when they are able to.

"We have worked hard with our partners to make the vaccine as widely available as possible to anyone who wants it, and so we are pleased that the clinic at the Mander Centre will be offering vaccinations to five to 11-year-olds, seven days a week.

"While most children who contract Covid-19 thankfully either have no symptoms or mild illness, some can still fall seriously ill and so I would encourage parents and guardians who have children eligible for a vaccine to come forward as soon as possible."

Sally Roberts, chief nursing officer for the Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group, added: “For decades, vaccinations have protected our children and young people from potentially serious diseases, including measles, flu, meningitis and mumps.

"By the time they leave school, a child will typically have been offered vaccinations against 18 different diseases or infections and the Covid-19 vaccine is one more vaccine that children can have to protect them from illness.”

For a full list of local vaccination centres, visit bit.ly/3HmGV5a.