Coronavirus: Apology after children invited for vaccine

Health bosses have apologised after some clinically extremely vulnerable children were mistakenly sent letters inviting them for a Covid vaccination.

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) sent the letter to children under the age of 16.

Currently no-one under the age of 16 has been advised to have a vaccine.

In a statement, the CCG said the mix-up was due to a "processing error" and they were "extremely sorry", urging anyone who got a letter to ignore it.

"Due to the processing error reported, we are aware that some children under the age of 16 who are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) have mistakenly received a letter inviting them for a Covid-19 vaccination," it said.

"We are extremely sorry for this mix-up."

Earlier on Friday, the CCG also sent letters to people classed as clinically vulnerable with an incorrect link.

The letter included an online link that only works for those over 70, which the CCG said was also down to the "processing error".

A CCG spokeswoman said people aged under 70 who are vulnerable would be sent a second letter with a new link, and would need to bring that to any appointment.

The BBC understands that error affected about 18,000 people.

Paul Schober, from Rempstone in Nottinghamshire, who was affected, has been shielding since before the first lockdown following chemotherapy.

The 68-year-old cancer patient said he was "frustrated" with the error.

"To be offered the vaccine and then to be trapped in some Kafkaesque nightmare where you can't get your booking accepted... I wasn't very happy at all," he said.

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