Oldham's 16 and 17-year-olds urged to get life-saving Covid vaccine as NHS bookings open

People can continue to use the online site finder to find their nearest walk-in vaccine clinic

Young people aged 16 and 17 in Oldham will be able to book their Covid-19 jabs through the National Booking Service from 6pm today (Friday) as the NHS vaccination programme pulls out all the stops to protect people ahead of winter.

More than half of 16 and 17 year olds in the region have already received their vaccine through a wide range of hyper-local walk-in clinics, including pop-up services at schools and sixth form colleges, and vaccine buses outside shops such as Lush and Primark, as well as venues including Chester Zoo, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the Frodsham Festival in the Park.

People can continue to use the online site finder to find their nearest walk-in vaccine clinic and the online booking service offers an additional way for people aged 16 and 17 to get a single shot of Pfizer in line with JCVI advice.

Thousands of texts will be sent to eligible teenagers nationally in the coming days and messages appear as an alert from ‘NHSvaccine’ and include a web link to the NHS website to make a booking.

It is the latest phase of the NHS Covid vaccination programme, the biggest and most successful in health service history.

More than 9.7 million vaccinations have been given across the North West, part of 78 million in England.

Dr Linda Charles-Ozuzu, Regional Director of Commissioning (North West), said: “Across the North West, the NHS vaccination programme continues to be a success as more than half of young people aged 16 and 17 are now vaccinated.

“Opening up the National Booking Service for those aged 16 and 17 will make it easier than ever for young people to plan their vaccination around their social and academic commitments.

“The vaccine is safe and effective and will mean we can continue to do the things we enjoy most safely through the vital protection it gives to individuals, their family and friends.”

NHS staff and volunteers have been vaccinating on university campuses at pop-up clinics and walk-in centres in the North West, urging students to get their jab or second dose during freshers and get protected as the new academic year begins. 

Vaccine services across the North West have also started to roll out the booster vaccine to eligible people following JCVI guidance, which advises that everyone aged 50 and over, as well as clinically vulnerable individuals and frontline health and social care workers, receives a top-up dose.

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