East Midands residents aged 56 to 59 can now book their Covid jab

The latest batch of letters have been sent after more than eight in ten people aged 65 to 69 took up the offer of a jab.

Alison Tonge, regional director of commissioning at NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands, said: “We are now inviting people aged 56 to 59 to get their jabs and I urge everyone eligible to come forward as soon as possible. The NHS vaccine programme is committed to protecting the country against coronavirus and it is testament to our incredible staff that we can now move on to the next age group.

“The vaccines are both safe and effective, so if anybody who is eligible but hasn’t been vaccinated yet, I’d urge them to go online or call 119 and get themselves booked in.”

People receiving the letters are invited to go online to the national booking service to arrange a jab at a time and location that is convenient for them.

Appointments are staggered to allow for social distancing and people are being asked not to turn up early to avoid creating queues.

Everyone will receive a health status check and a pre-vaccination assessment before they have their jab.

The booking service can be accessed at http://www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination. Those who cannot go online call 119 free of charge.

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