The rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations in schools across Oxfordshire has kicked off.

Healthy 12-15 year olds whose parents have provided consent started receiving their jab – with The Cooper School in Bicester being first to start.

Headteacher Rob Whannel said the process was ‘extremely smooth’ with over 200 students being vaccinated.

He said more wanted to take up the jab and he hoped there might be a bigger uptake at a future catch-up session as some parents had been unable to give consent due to short notice.

“The NHS vaccination team emailed us the date on Friday and we had the first set today so it was the not the longest turnaround time as parents have to give consent to the NHS. But all credit to those who managed it,” he said.

An experienced nursing team who had previously worked at the Kassam Stadium administered the jabs in the sports hall, which was laid out like any other vaccination centre with partitions for privacy and a rest area.

Year 7s received the flu spray from the school nurse while Years 8 and 9 had the flu spray and Covid jab.

Mr Whannel said a few parents had checked with the school about the logistics but if there were other questions they went to the NHS team.

“It’s not our place to force anyone,” he said. “If parents didn’t want them to get it, they didn’t get it. There was a check-in to establish that consent was given and if not they went back into lessons.”

The NHS and local School Age Vaccination Services are carrying out the programme, in line with the UK nations' four Chief Medical Officers, in a move to reduce the disruption to education caused by Covid.

Parents will receive letters, information about the vaccine and are encouraged to discuss the benefits and the risks of the vaccination with their children, so that they can make an informed decision.

But already some headteachers have been receiving threatening emails over the rollout.

One expresses “grave concerns regarding all proposals to administer Covid-19 vaccines to children”.

Head of Cheney School in Oxford Rob Pavey said he received another from ‘a group of concerned parents’, threatening legal action.

He said: “There have been some anonymous groups that have been emailing headteachers threatening personal liability and legal action if the vaccination programme goes ahead.

“It’s quite unpleasant. It’s not a parent at the school, just a conspiracy group trying to make life difficult.

“I know any parent would absolutely email me directly but this is an anonymous group. But it’s easy to ignore. It’s quite impressively mad.”

He said he had had another email from a group of people ‘who have a certain amount of professional knowledge’.

“They are effectively saying what we already know – that the risk and health benefits to children are very finely balanced. We know that and that’s entirely in the open and not news.

“But the one from Lawyers for Liberty is a madder one, quoting the Nuremberg Trials and things, which is relatively extraordinary.”

Mr Pavey said the logistics would be straightforward.

“Flu, HPV and other childhood vaccinations are already delivered in school and the process is exactly the same. The only difference is, this is a new vaccine.”

He said so far he had had "no questions from parents at all’.

“We may get more when we send out the consent forms through the Schools Vaccination Team. I anticipate most children will get the vaccination. I did some straw polling of a Year 10 class I was teaching and about two-thirds said they would get it. A third said they would not. It’s a personal and parental decision.”

A spokesman for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust CCG said: “We are not publicising a schedule for the vaccination programme.

“Our School-aged Immunisation Team is organising directly with schools which in turn are notifying parents/carers/ and guardians of vaccination dates for the Pfizer vaccine and procedures including consent.”