Headteachers' unions are calling for 12 to 15-year-olds to be allowed to use walk-in vaccination centres after new figures reveal the low uptake of the Covid-19 jab among young teenagers.

School leaders' unions are concerned that 12 to 15-year-olds are missing out on getting the vaccine in school due to a high level of cases amongst their cohort, as well as vaccination teams having insufficient staff to deal with students needing jabs.

Three million pupils aged between 12 and 15 across the UK are eligible to receive a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as part of a rollout that began a month ago.

Norfolk is 64th in the UK for vaccine uptake among 12 to 15-year-olds, with 19.8pc having had the first dose.

Breckland has the highest uptake in Norfolk, at 24pc, and West Norfolk has the lowest, at 11.9pc. Broadland is at 19.9pc, Great Yarmouth is at 17.1pc, North Norfolk is at 23.9pc, Norwich is at 23.8pc, and South Norfolk is at 19.7pc.

The highest uptake in the UK is Dumfries and Galloway, at 62.9pc, and the lowest is at 81st is Barking and Dagenham, at 3.5pc.

Government data for vaccinations delivered up to October 16 shows that in 37pc of local authorities in England, less than one in 10 children aged 12 to 15 have received the first dose.

The first dose of the vaccine cannot be delivered to someone if they are within four weeks of testing positive for Covid-19, waiting for the results of a coronavirus test, or self-isolating.

Around one in 10 children in England in school years seven to 11 were likely to have tested positive for Covid-19 in the week to October 9, the highest rate for any age group, according to estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

James Bowen, director of policy for school leaders' union NAHT, said: "Those who want to get the vaccination should be able to do so as quickly as possible."

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "This would be a very sensible way of quickly boosting the number of students who have been vaccinated."

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