Covid: Extra staff help meet demand for children's jabs

The vaccine uptake for 12 to 15-year-olds was higher than expected in Hertfordshire, the director of public health said

Hertfordshire's public health boss has drafted in more staff to vaccinate schoolchildren against Covid-19 to meet demand, he said.

Latest data shows those aged between 12 and 15 are among the most likely to have the virus in the county.

The overall rate of infection is 350 per 100,000 population - but among those aged 12 to 15 that rate is 1,674.

Director of public health Jim McManus said the vaccine uptake for that age group had been higher than expected.

The government gave the go-ahead for schoolchildren aged between 12 and 15 to be given the jab three weeks ago.

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In Hertfordshire, more than 6,900 pupils in secondary schools - which equates to one in 10 - have had the vaccine, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

During a virtual media briefing on Tuesday, Prof McManus said more helpers had been drafted in.

'Best present'

He said the vaccination booster programme had also started in the county.

"One of the reasons we have managed to have some form of normality is because of the sheer number of people taking the vaccine up," said Prof McManus.

"If we didn't have the number of people taking the vaccine up the hospitals would be much fuller and there would be many more people dying than there are now."

He added: "The best present you can give yourself is getting vaccinated - and the best present you can give others is getting vaccinated."