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Parents and carers of almost 5 million 5 to 11 year olds can now book a COVID-19 vaccination for their children.

Most appointments will be available at a local vaccination centre or community pharmacy outside school hours. You can book one via the National Booking Service or by calling 119.

More appointments will be added throughout the week – so if you’re unable to get a convenient slot initially, please keep trying.

You can also find convenient vaccine walk-ins across the country via www.nhs.uk/grab-a-jab, which shows which sites can vaccinate which age groups.

The NHS will be sending invitations to parents and guardians of eligible children throughout the next few weeks to let them know they can now book a vaccine.

The NHS and government have set out a blueprint to address backlogs built up during the COVID pandemic and tackle long waits for care with a massive expansion in capacity for tests, checks and treatments.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard and Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid announced that the health service will build dozens more community diagnostic centres as part of the new elective care recovery plan.

The ‘Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care’ will also give patients greater control over their own health and offer greater choice of where to get care if they are waiting too long for treatment.