Online vaccine bookings for 5 to 11 year olds opens today

Online booking for Covid-19 vaccines are now available for 5 to 11 year olds.

From today, parents and guardians can book appointments for their children online at a number of our vaccine clinics.

Dr Lucy Jessop, director of public health at the national immunisation office, said, 'We appreciate that parents and guardians are busy and we want to help make it as accessible as possible.

'Next week’s midterm also gives parents another option to bring their children for a Covid-19 vaccine and we are encouraging parents and guardians to bring them along to one of our vaccination centres.

'Parents and guardians should get their information from a trusted source, such as hse.ie or a medical professional when making the decision to vaccinate their child,' she added.

There are separate vaccine clinics for people age 12 years and over, and age 5 to 11 years old, so it is important to book the correct clinic for correct age group because the Covid-19 vaccine offered is different for young children.

For 5 to 15 year olds, a parent or legal guardian must book their appointment and give consent for their vaccination. Children also need to attend with a parent or guardian because children attending alone will not be vaccinated.

To book an appointment, select a clinic and a date and time that works for you. You can book an appointment up to five days in advance.

If possible, your child should bring a form of identification with their date of birth on it. This can be their passport or birth certificate.