Leek and Staffordshire parents can now book COVID-19 vaccinations for their 12 to 15-year-olds online.

People can visit the National Booking Service website to see whether their local vaccination site has appointments available to vaccinate children and young people.

The service provides an additional option for parents wanting to book a vaccine for their child, as the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to expand.

It is operating alongside the schools programme, which has already vaccinated nearly half a million young people and visited thousands of schools nationally.

Parents and guardians will be advised to attend vaccination sites with their children if they want them to get jabbed outside of school hours and consent will be sought on the day. Parents and young people are being asked to read the patient information in advance of arriving for their appointment. This can also be accessed online.

The NHS has said that the service offers a new option for parents who may want to get their child vaccinated during half term.

Steve Fawcett, GP and Medical Director for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: "By opening up vaccine centres to young people aged 12-15, the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme is offering parents extra choice over where and when their child is vaccinated, which will be particularly helpful over the half term break.

"If your child has already received their vaccine or been invited through their school then you do not need to do anything further unless you would prefer to get your child vaccinated outside of school. But we would advise other parents to take advantage of this additional opportunity to get your child vaccinated.

"Vaccines are safe, will protect children from COVID-19 and prevent further disruption to their education. We would urge everyone eligible to get their jabs as soon as possible to keep yourself and your family protected this winter."

As more sites come online, parents will have the extra offer of getting their children vaccinated at existing vaccination centres across the country, including GP practices, community pharmacies and other convenient local sites. Parents are being advised to keep checking the NHS website as more appointments and sites become available.

Parents or guardians will be able to book their child in for a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine through the online booking service by visiting www.nhs.uk or they can ring 119.

The NHS has been vaccinating 16 and 17-year-olds with a single dose since the start of August, with hundreds of thousands already protected.