Covid: GP surgery offers special clinic for five to 11-year-olds

Staff at the Amble practice held a dedicated Covid vaccination clinic for children with medical conditions

A GP practice in Amble has offered a special Covid vaccine clinic for clinically vulnerable children.

Since the end of January children in England between the ages of five and 11 have had access to the jab if they are at higher risk from coronavirus.

Eligible children include those with learning disabilities and long-term conditions, such as diabetes.

Dr Ben Burville said although the Coquet Medical Group had a limited supply of the jab, it wanted to share.

Dr Burville said the clinic needed a "delicate touch" as youngsters can find the jab frightening

Dr Burville said: "I was getting feedback from certain parents across the country that they were really struggling to get access to this vaccine, an age-specific vaccine, for 5 to 11-year-olds.

"Vaccinating children of this age needs a little bit of experience and a delicate touch with some of the children as they are at an age where it can be quite frightening.

"Most of the vaccines they get like flu jabs, are given nasally, not via an actual needle.

"I think it needs a little bit more care when you're setting up a clinic.

"For that reason I think getting access to those clinics around the country has been, and it's early days in the process, but it hasn't maybe been as quick as it has been to get an adult vaccine."

The practice has had parents from Scotland booking their children in because they have not been able to get the jab closer to home.

In December, the government's vaccine advisers, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, recommended around 500,000 young children at highest risk be given the jabs.

The Department of Health and Social Care said 850 sites have been identified for this phase of the vaccination programme.