Immunisations and Vaccinations
Our School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) is responsible for the planning and delivery of all school-based programmes on the NHS routine immunisation schedule.
We have 3 teams working across all of Coventry and Warwickshire covering approximately 320 primary schools and 95 Secondary schools. This includes Mainstream, Special Educational Needs, and private schools.
We are available to provide expert advice to young people, families, other professionals and schools regarding immunisation and vaccination issues and can offer extra support to those children and young people who are worried about receiving a vaccination or who have additional needs.
All the vaccinations we give will be offered in school and parents will be emailed information and a unique link to complete an online electronic consent form ahead of time. We also offer community clinics for children and young people who are educated at home, who are not currently in education or who have missed their school sessions.
Routine Childhood School Immunisation programmes.
Throughout the academic year, we offer the following
- Years Reception to Year 11 & Reception to Year 13 SEN schools – Flu Vaccine
- Year 8 – HPV and MMR (if required)
- Year 9 - Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (Td/IPV) & Meningitis ACWY and any missed HPV/ MMR
Flu Vaccination Programme 2023/2024 will include:
- All Schools – Reception to Year 11 September to December 2023
- Special Education Provision - Reception to Year 13 (up to the age of 18) September to December 2023
Flu Vaccination is a national Programme offered every autumn to help protect against Influenza. Flu can be a serious illness that leads to complications like bronchitis and pneumonia, and painful ear infections in children. Children under the age of 5 years old have the highest rate of hospital admission of any age group. This successful programme will help protect children themselves and to stop the spread of flu to their families and the wider community, given the role that children have in the transmission of the flu virus.
See Primary School Leaflet &.Secondary School Leaflet for more information.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV):
HPV is a very commonly transmitted infection and increases the risk of developing some cancers later in life. The HPV vaccine helps protect young people from being infected by the virus. The national HPV vaccination programme is a one dose course and is offered to both boys and girls in year 8. More information can be found here: HPV Information Leaflet
Diphtheria, Tetanus & Polio booster (Td/IPV) and Meningitis ACWY:
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio are rare now because of vaccination but they are very serious diseases. Children in the UK are offered three doses as a baby and one pre-school booster. Sometimes known as the Teenage Td/IPV Booster, this should be young people’s 5th and final dose of this combined vaccination to protect them into adulthood. Teenagers and young adults are also at higher risk of developing meningococcal disease and will be offered the vaccine that protects against four different types of Meningitis - A, C, W and Y . These two vaccinations are offered together to all pupils in Year 9, Immunisations for young people - your questions answered.pdf [pdf] 513KB
Measles, Mumps and Rubella,
MMR Vaccination is a targeted catch-up programme for young people in year 8 and year 9 who are known to have missed one or both of their doses. Children should have received two doses of MMR vaccine at 1 year of age and with the pre-school booster at 3.5 years of age. 2 doses of the MMR vaccine provide the best protection. The MMR vaccine is very safe. MMR information leaflet
For more information about the vaccinations we offer, please see the links below:
Find out more about the child flu vaccine on the NHS website
Advice following flu vaccination
Advice following Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination
Advice following Men ACWY and Td-IPV vaccine
Data Sharing - our responsibility
Advice following Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine
Anxious about vaccinations.
We know children and young people can be anxious about vaccinations. If they are very anxious, they can be invited down to the school session first so they do not have to wait so long and have their vaccine in a quieter environment. They may feel less anxious at one of the community clinics. Please let us know so we can answer any specific questions and offer additional support
The Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS):
This is a service available to you that deals with Queries, Compliments and Complaints. More information can be found Here and via the PALS Information Leaflet
Referral criteria:
Children/ Young people are automatically offered vaccinations at the relevant part of the school year. If you have any concerns that your child is eligible or missed a school aged vaccine but have not received information or heard from us– or are home-schooling your child– please contact the team for your area using the details below:
Contact details for your local team:
Coventry schools: Tel: 024 76 961422 Email: Bewise.Immunise@covwarkpt.nhs.uk
South Warwickshire schools: Tel: 01926 353899 Email: SOUTHIMMS@covwarkpt.nhs.uk
North Warwickshire schools Tel: 02476 321550 Email: NORTHIMMS@covwarkpt.nhs.uk