The first under 12s in Newcastle to receive their Covid-19 vaccines attended a special clinic at Newcastle Racecourse today.
Youngsters like Kenton School's Casey Kirkup, 11, and Declan Sanderson, also 11, who goes to the Walker Riverside Academy, were among the first to get jabbed.
Declan - with little brother Jenson, five, who also got the vaccine - told ChronicleLive how the jab had been "fine".
Go here for the latest NHS news and breaking North East public health news
He said: "It did pinch a bit but that's it. I do feel safer, yeah. My parents wanted us to be vaccinated before the holidays in the summer."
The family are off to Zante, all being well, and mum Michelle said the process had been an easy one.
"I just received a voicemail and obviously when I rang back they said I could book," she said.
"Declan's got asthma and there are issues around that at home. We've all been vaccinated and boosted - so we had absolutely no issue getting the kids done if it's going to help protect them.
"It was great that I was able to get Jenson booked in too."
Janet Glenwright, a retired West End health visitor who returned to help the vaccination programme last February, added: "It's been absolutely brilliant here.
"Particularly all of our volunteers have been unbelievable and it's been nice for everybody to have a common goal.
"It's vital to protect these children. Some of them have long-term health conditions and we need to give them the best possible protection.
"Particularly if they have had to shield, hopefully this will give them a bit of freedom back."
Janet - who said the special clinic had been set up to minimise stress for children, there are even donated soft toys to cheer up any who need a hug.
She said: "We have never in the history of the NHS had as much information about a medication as we do on this vaccine - and the main thing is that all that information is shared with parents so they have as much as possible in order to make an informed decision."
Dr Natalie Crowe, the GP leading the vaccine programme in Newcastle, told ChronicleLive: "It's gone well so far. We have really come full circle. 13 months ago we were vaccinating vulnerable older people and those in care homes.
"It feels a nice place to be to now vaccinating some of the youngest and most vulnerable members of our community. These are of course some of the most vulnerable children with other serious health conditions. Should they contract Covid-19 they could become incredibly unwell with it."
Dr Crowe reassured parents who may be anxious about the vaccine for their children.
"It's understandable that there will be parents who are nervous about whether it's the right thing to do for their child to be vaccinated," she said.
"But they should remember that [offering the vaccine to children] is a decision that hasn't been reached lightly.
"There's been masses of research and real-world experience of this around the world - five million children vaccinated in the US alone - and I think we really do have grounds to be confident that this is the right solution for the very young.
"People who are worried about this being a new vaccine should be reassured by the fact that thousands of scientists around the world have come together to focus their energy on producing a safe and effective vaccine."
Dr Crowe said it was vital that as a society we kept in mind that Covid-19 could still be lethal to the most vulnerable.
"Although the rest of us might be thinking about becoming more used to living with Covid-19, she added. "We need to remember that there are many who are very vulnerable who could still be devastated by Covid.
"Obviously we have begun vaccinating vulnerable children but we are still seeing significant numbers of people of all ages coming through the doors for their first, second or booster vaccines.
"It's fantastic to see people still coming forward, perhaps if they are worried about being able to go on holiday later in the year - it doesn't matter what your reason for getting the vaccine is."
With Boris Johnson having now announced plans to ditch Covid restrictions entirely in the coming weeks - including the law requiring self-isolation if you test positive - Dr Crowe said: "At some point we are going to have to learn to live with Covid.
"My hope is that, with vaccination and the vaccination programme being as successful as it has been, that we are heading towards a place where we can live closer to a normal life. I don't think we are there yet.
"But getting vaccinated has to be the number one way to achieve that."
It is, at this stage, only children aged 5 to 11 who are especially vulnerable due to a health condition such as asthma and their siblings who are being invited to get a vaccine.
GPs are contacting families about booking directly - and parents or guardians are asked not to contact their GP themselves.
Information for parents of eligible at risk children aged 5 to 11 years on Covid-19 vaccinations can be found at on the Government website, while to get a vaccine if you are aged 12 or over in Newcastle, see here.
