‘Vaccination saves lives and protects people’s health. It ranks second only to clean water as the most effective public health intervention to prevent disease.’ – (NHS England » NHS vaccination strategy)
This webpage contains important information about School-aged Immunisation.
This service in Halton and Warrington and is provided by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases, protecting your child and people in your community from many serious and deadly diseases.
Our teams offer and administer vaccinations in all schools. If a child misses their immunisation in school, is home educated or has an individual need, they can come along to one of our community clinics.
Vaccination and immunisations
Across Halton and Warrington, Bridgewater deliver the following school-aged immunisation programmes as directed by the National Childhood Immunisation Programme:
- Nasal Flu
- Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio (Td/IPV)
- Meningococcal (MenACWY)
- Catch up Measles, Mumps and Rubella (offered opportunistically to those in Year 9 or above, who have not previously had a dose of combined MMR vaccination)
Our teams offer and administer vaccinations in all schools. If a child misses their immunisation in school, is home educated or has an individual need, they can come along to one of our community clinics.
Giving consent for your child to be vaccinated
For all routine vaccinations you will receive a letter from the School-aged Immunisation team, via your child’s school.
The letter gives information on how to give your consent online, by filling in an online consent form (eConsent).
The eConsent platform is provided by Cinnamon Digital Applications Limited (view the Privacy Policy).
If your child is home schooled, you will receive a letter directly from our School-aged Immunisation team to arrange your child’s vaccination.
You must use the unique school code sent by your child’s school to access and complete the consent form.
If the consent form is not received, young people in secondary school are able to self-consent in certain circumstances (known as ‘Gillick Competence’) but only after an individual assessment by the immunisation nurse.
The nurse will check the child meets certain guidelines, such as being able to understand the information and have capacity in order to self-consent.
On the day of the vaccination session in school/clinic the nurse will check the consent form and make sure your child is well and able to have the immunisations that day.
Vaccinations offered
Annual Flu Vaccine
The Flu vaccination is offered to all students in Reception to Year 11 this autumn and winter 2024/2025 – as part of the national childhood vaccination programme.
If your child has a health condition that puts them at higher risk of serious complications from flu, vaccination can also be accessed via the GP surgery.
Flu can be a very unpleasant illness, and for some it can cause serious complications.
The vaccination programme is in place to protect your child against flu. It also helps to protect more vulnerable family and friends by preventing its spread.
The type of flu circulating each year changes.
To keep children protected against flu, it is recommended they have the flu vaccine every year.
For most children and young people, the vaccination is given as a quick and painless spray up the nose.
Information about the vaccination programme is available at Child Flu vaccine – NHS (www.nhs.uk) and from Flu vaccination for children: leaflets and posters – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The nasal spray vaccine contains a very small amount of purified porcine gelatine.
This is an essential ingredient to keep it stable and able to work.
For those who may not accept medicines or vaccines that contain porcine gelatine, a flu vaccine injection is available.
School Flu Vaccination Sessions
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)
The HPV vaccine has been offered to all girls in school year 8 since 2008.
From September 2019, the vaccine was also introduced to year 8 boys.
This was because the evidence was clear that the HPV vaccine helps protect both boys and girls from HPV-related cancers including:
- cervical cancer
- mouth and throat cancers
- some cancers of the anus and genital areas
Only one dose of HPV vaccine is required to protect against HPV infection in this age group (unless individuals have specific health reasons which may mean they require three doses).
If you would like more details, please visit the HPV vaccine – NHS (www.nhs.uk) and from the universal HPV immunisation programme (publishing.service.gov.uk) where you can find information about the disease, vaccine and any expected side effects that may occur afterwards.
Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio (Td/IPV) and Meningitis ACWY
Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio (Td/IPV) and Meningitis ACWY (MenACWY) Vaccinations – offered during school year 9.
Between January and July young people in year 9 will be offered a Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio booster and a Meningitis ACWY vaccination (two separate injections):
MenACWY vaccination helps to protect your child against four types of meningococcal bacteria (groups A, C, W and Y) that can cause meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
These diseases are very serious and can kill, especially if not diagnosed early. If you would like more details, please visit the nhs.uk website and from protect yourself against meningitis and septicaemia with the MenACWY vaccine (publishing.service.gov.uk) where you can find information about the disease, vaccine and any expected side effects that may occur afterwards.
The Td/IPV vaccine also known as the teenage booster or the 3-in-1 vaccine, is given as a single injection into the upper arm to boost your child’s protection against three separate diseases: tetanus, diphtheria and polio.
Information about the diseases, vaccine and any expected side effects that may occur afterwards is available at Td/IPV vaccine (3-in-1 teenage booster) – NHS (www.nhs.uk) and from teenage 3 in 1 booster – Td/IPV (publishing.service.gov.uk)
These two vaccinations (Td/IPV & MenACWY) are given together, one in each arm.
Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccination (MMR)
The MMR vaccination is used to protect against Measles, Mumps and Rubella. It is a combined vaccination which is a two-dose course.
Measles, Mumps and Rubella are spread through coughs and sneezes or through close contact with an infected person.
Symptoms from these illnesses can last from 7-14 days.
They can be very serious illnesses for some people leading to hospitalisation and long-term complications.
If your child has not previously had a combined MMR vaccine you may be contacted by the School age immunisation team to be offered an MMR vaccination
Alternatively, if your child has had no MMR vaccinations or only had one dose you can contact your GP to arrange to catch up doses.
If your child has already had one dose when they were younger, they will only need one further dose to complete the course.
View the Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccination leaflet.
Contact details
Warrington School-aged Immunisation Team
Health services @ Birchwood
Spencer House
81a Dewhurst Road
Birchwood
Warrington
WA3 7PG
Telephone: 01925 946808
Email: bchft.warringtonimmsteam@nhs.net
Halton School-aged Immunisation Team
The Bridges Learning Centre
7-9 Crow Wood Lane
Widnes
WA8 3NA
Telephone: 0151 495 5066
Email: bchft.haltonimmsteam@nhs.net
Patient Services
0800 587 0562
Open 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday
bchft.patientservices@nhs.net
Patient Services (formerly PALS) is a confidential information and advice service for patients, relatives and carers.