Vaccination of children aged 12 to 15 is due to start “within a couple of days” from registration according to HSE officials.

The vaccine portal opens for registration for 12 to 15-year-olds on Thursday. This means children in the age group could receive their first doses as soon as Saturday, August 14.

Children will need parental consent in order to get vaccinated.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Damien McCallion, the HSE's national lead for the Covid-19 vaccination programme, said the HSE anticipate that vaccination will begin right away.

“We’re trying to hold back clinic spaces so that if we do get a high initial registration, we’re conscious that it can suit parents over a weekend.

"We will be allocating as many slots over the coming weekend as possible for parents who would register their children on Thursday and Friday and into the weekend,” he said.

When asked if walk-in vaccination centres will open for this age group, he said: “The initial approach is based on registration over the coming days. We will then evaluate the possibility of opening walk-in vaccination centres.”

The HSE system will focus on registration and will then start issuing appointments to parents.

Mr McCallion said they will also have access through a limited number of general practices for 12 to 15-year-olds and their parents and people can check with their GPs whether they are participating or not.

There will also be access through some pharmacies which will facilitate children who may find it difficult to adapt to a large centre.

The HSE are also looking at evening clinics with extended opening hours to facilitate parents. He said they’re trying to make it as convenient as possible for parents.

Mr McCallion said the HSE are conscious of parent’s concerns surrounding vaccination, he said we should all take some comfort from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommendations.

“They make recommendations based on evidence and they’ve been very methodical in how they’ve approached this.

"They’ve made this recommendation based on the best evidence available to them and balancing up the benefits and risks for children themselves,” he said.

He said the HSE are “optimistic” that there will be a high take-up among this age group.

He said everyone over the age of 12 should have a vaccine made available to them by the end of September, stating that “no one will be left behind in this we will always have a mechanism for someone who wants a vaccine beyond that.”

Mr McCallion said the HSE have just received NIAC’s advice on vaccine boosters and are now in a position to start to move that forward.