In a press release issued by the local clinical commissioning group, students in Wiltshire College started their academic year by

getting protected against coronavirus.

Dozens of young people lined up to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the college's Lackham Campus on Wednesday 15 September from Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG's mobile vaccination clinic.

The team of mobile vaccinators visited the Lacock site to offer the vaccine to 16 and 17- year-olds, following the government's recent announcement that the age group would benefit from vaccination.

So far, more than 50 per cent of all 16 and 17-year-olds living in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire have already had the Covid-19 vaccine.

Sixteen-year-old Megan Dellar was one of the first to be vaccinated on site and explained that her top reason for getting protected against coronavirus was to play a part in preventing further spread of the infection.

Ben Coggan, 19, also received the vaccine and said that apart from having it to make his nan happy, getting protected against coronavirus would allow him to travel abroad with friends in the not-too-distant future.

Gill May, Director of Nursing and Quality, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG, said: "It's fantastic to see a strong appetite among our young people for the coronavirus vaccine, and I hope that others in the same age group who have yet to take up the offer do so as quickly as possible."

Earlier this week it was announced that the Covid-19 vaccine would be offered to children aged between 12 and 15-year-olds, with around 45,000 in the region eligible for the jab.

Virgin Care's Immunisation Service team will manage the vaccination of this age group and provide the vaccine in schools to children who, along with their parents, consent to be vaccinated.

Any person of any age can still receive the coronavirus vaccine by visiting one of many walk-in clinics operating across the region, all of which are listed online at www.nhs.uk.