A medical centre in Birkenhead is one of the first places in the North West to offer coronavirus booster jabs.

Birkenhead Medical Building, on Laird Street, has started offering a third vaccine dose after the booster jabs programme began this week.

Those who are eligible for a booster include all adults aged 50 or over, people living in care homes for older adults and those aged 16-49 with underlying health conditions which increase their vulnerability to the virus.

Invitations to book a COVID-19 booster jab will be sent to one and a half million people this week as the NHS vaccination programme enters a new phase ahead of winter.

To be eligible you must have had your second vaccine at least six months ago.

People should receive either one dose of the Pfizer vaccine or half a dose of the Moderna vaccine, which means for some people their booster dose may be different from the vaccines they had for their first and second doses.

You could also be offered a booster dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if you cannot have the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

Once you receive an invite, you will be able to book an appointment online here (www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination). People that are not able to go online can book by phoning 119.

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and deputy lead for the COVID-19 vaccination programme, said: "The NHS COVID vaccination programme has already prevented 24 million cases and saved more than 112,000 lives.

"As we head into winter we should not drop our guard so I would urge everyone to come forward and get a booster vaccination when then they are invited.

"Getting a top-up vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from this cruel virus."

The NHS COVID vaccination programme, the biggest in the organisation's history, has already delivered more than 77m vaccinations.

Local health teams will prioritise care home residents and staff who are eligible and offer a booster jab by the beginning of November.

People eligible for a booster jab:

- Those living in residential care homes for older adults

- All adults aged 50 years or over

- Frontline health and social care workers

- All those aged 16-49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of Severe COVID-19 (as set out in the green book), and adult carers

- Adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals

The health service and partners will also begin vaccinating children aged 12-15 in line with UK Chief Medical Officer advice shortly.