Quentin Blake donates Covid vaccine images for children

The artist Quentin Blake has donated two original drawings to encourage young children to have their Covid-19 vaccinations.

One picture shows Blake with a needle in his arm, saying "I got vaccinated straightaway and now I'm unstoppable".

The other shows him with his friend, Dr Peter Rowan, who Blake says is "good at vaccinating people".

Children at vaccination centres across Cambridgeshire and Norfolk will be given copies to colour in.

Blake is best known for his illustrations for Roald Dahl's books, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust has started offering vaccinations to children aged 5-11 at large-scale sites, including ones in Cambridge, Peterborough and Norwich.

The children will be offered two 10 microgram doses of the Pfizer vaccine - a third of the amount given to adults.

The trust has come up with a number of initiatives to make the experience less frightening for young children, including a doctor dressed up as "Julian the jabbing lion", copies of the Quentin Blake drawing to colour in, games to play, and a cartoon video intended for children to watch before having their vaccinations.

Andrew Lamb from the NHS trust is dressing as "Julian the jabbing lion", pictured here with his daughter Emily, eight, who voiced a cartoon video about vaccinations

Blake created the artworks specifically for the vaccination programme, having worked with Dr Rowan in the past, illustrating the children's book Ask Doctor Pete, which has also been published under the title Can You get Warts from Touching Toads?

Quentin Blake, photographed unveiling some of his work at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in 2009

Dr Rowan, who is one of the children's vaccinators at the Norwich centre, asked Blake if he could help out, and the artist produced the two drawings for the NHS trust.

The first picture features the words: "This is me, Quentin Blake. I got vaccinated straightaway and now I'm unstoppable and I'm not giving anything unpleasant to my friends."

The text in second illustration reads: "Written by Doctor Peter Rowan who's also good at vaccinating people and illustrated by Quentin Blake who is also good at getting vaccinated."

Cath Byford, chief nurse at NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "It's fantastic to see fun initiatives popping up... to help children and young people come forward for these important vaccinations.

"Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 is the best thing you, and those in your family, can do to protect one another from the virus which can make some people very poorly."