A health board has apologised after mistakenly using the wrong template while inviting children to receive their Covid vaccine. 

NHS Lothian had sent parents of healthy children letters stating that their child has an underlying health condition, as they issued jab appointments for those aged between five and 11. 

Katie Dee, deputy director of public health at NHS Lothian, said the dates given for the appointments are still accurate despite the "admin error". 

She said: “We are really sorry for this admin error and are writing to the affected parents to apologise for the confusion it may cause some parents.

“We use two letter templates in Lothian to invite children – one for children who have underlying health conditions and one for children who do not. It appears that the wrong version may have been used when offering some appointments to children in Midlothian and West Lothian.

“Parents don’t have to do anything at all. All of the appointment information remains the same and they should turn up for the appointment that has been reserved for them."

The Herald: A potential Covid-19 vaccine developed by researchers from Imperial College London

NHS Lothian urged parents to bring their children to the pre-determined slots amid high infection rates. 

The health boss added: "The numbers of people testing positive for infection have increased rapidly across Scotland and vaccination is one of the best ways to protect ourselves and our children against the virus.”

We reported yesterday that NHS Dumfries and Galloway apologised after a Covid vaccination appointment error saw people invited to attend clinics that were not taking place.

The health board said work was ongoing to resolve the "significant issue" which arose over the weekend.