Call to make sure children are vaccinated

MAKE sure children have had their pre-school vaccinations, parents and carers are being urged by NHS bosses.

While the majority of parents in the South West ensure their child is fully vaccinated, some children starting school are either missing key doses or have not been vaccinated at all. 

The official message from the NHS as children go back to school - or go for the first time - is that early childhood vaccinations are vitally important as they help to build immunity, protecting against a host of serious diseases.

These include some strains of meningitis, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella and whooping cough.

Successful vaccination programmes have helped to make such diseases much rarer, but they are still in circulation and if vaccination levels fall the likelihood of an outbreak is increased. 

Hayley Ware, a Wiltshire public health manager and parent mother from Wiltshire, said: “My daughter turned one in April, and I took her for her second lot of immunisations at her registered practice. 

"I was impressed by the organisation, confidence of staff, and all the safety measures put in place. 

"It was a very positive experience, and I would encourage all parents and carers to ensure that their child received these important vaccinations.”

Achieving at least 90 percent coverage in the local population, the NHS says, is the minimum target to prevent infections spreading. 

Vaccine uptake in the South West is generally high but levels of the pre-school dose fall slightly short at 89.4 percent, equating to about one in eleven children missing out on the vital booster to protect against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio.

It is particularly important that a child is up to date with their vaccinations before they start school, as this is when they come into contact with many more potential sources of infection.   

Matthew Dominey, Public Health Consultant at Public Health England, said: “Vaccinations protect your child and the wider population from serious diseases, and it is vital that they complete all the doses to build up the right levels of protection, particularly before they go to school.

“We know that for busy parents it can be easy to lose track of which vaccinations your child has had, but it is not too late – speak to your GP surgery to check if your child is up-to-date and protected.”