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Grab a jab this Easter weekend with more than 32,000 appointments available

Families are being encouraged to ‘grab a jab’ this weekend with more than 32,000 appointments available across the North West as the NHS continues to vaccinate people over Easter.

NHS staff and volunteers are preparing to protect all those who are eligible with vaccines for the whole family available including 5 to 11 year olds, booster jabs for all adults and spring doses for those who are eligible.

So far, 10,000 people have booked in for a jab between Friday and Monday, taking advantage of the long weekend.

Appointments are available to book using the National Booking Service as well as more than 300 sites across the region offering walk-in slots. Some of the sites open this weekend include Alder Hey, which will have Easter eggs and mascots at walk-in clinics for children, with pre-bookable appointments for adults, between 9am and 4pm on Good Friday and Saturday, as well as St Johns Shopping Centre in Preston and the Etihad in Manchester, which are open every day of the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Dr Linda Charles-Ozuzu, Regional Director of Commissioning for NHS England and NHS Improvement and Senior Responsible Officer for the Vaccination Programme in the North West, said: “With thousands of vaccination appointments available, the bank holiday weekend is the perfect time for the whole family to get vaccinated and protected from COVID-19.

“As infection rates rise within the community, it’s vital families are protected with the life-saving jab. Whatever your plans are this Easter weekend, find a convenient walk-in site near you or book an appointment online.”

In the North West, more than 14.8 million vaccinations have been delivered, including 3.8 million booster jabs, part of 120 million nationally.

Since March, the NHS has been offering spring booster jabs to eligible people aged 75 and over, adult care home residents and those who are immunosuppressed aged 12 and over, with about one in three of those eligible already having received their top-up jab. In January, the NHS began vaccinating at risk 5 to 11s and more recently expanded to all children aged 5 to 11 in line with JCVI guidance.

To book a vaccination appointment, visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ and to find a local walk-in site, visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/.