THE Covid vaccine rollout has started in Herefordshire's schools, with 500 pupils aged between 12 and 15 given a jab.

John Kyrle High School in Ross-on-Wye said it was the first in the county to have teams in to give pupils a jab, with people in the age range being offered one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

All children between aged between 12 and 15 will be offered a dose, with John Kyrle having healthcare workers at the school in Ledbury Road this week.

It said around 500 students would have been jabbed over the course of the three days that the team was there.

Tina Halling, operations manager for Taurus Healthcare, said: “We have enjoyed working with such lovely students here at John Kyrle and the staff have organised the days really well.

"We are grateful to JKHS for being the first school we have visited and our experience here has been very valuable in helping shape how we do things at the next schools.”

Dave Boyd, operational headteacher at JKHS said: "It has been a pleasure to have the Taurus team here. They have helped students get their vaccinations with great care and dignity.”

Taurus Healthcare, on behalf of Herefordshire GP Practices, is coordinating the roll-out of vaccination programme to all high schools in Herefordshire with jabs being offered to pupils in educational settings over the coming weeks.

Latest NHS data showed 10 per cent of children aged 12 to 15 have already had one dose, as of October 13.

Based on mid-2020 population estimates from the Office for National Statistics, that is around 3,200 children.

Parents are asked to sign a consent form, but children can have the final say as long as they are deemed competent to make the decision.

Vaccinating children should help limit the spread of Covid in the community, the NHS has previously said.