Vaccinations in school

Vaccines are routinely offered to school aged children as part of a long-standing NHS programme to protect them from serious and life-threatening preventable diseases.

The School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS) will send out consent forms through your child’s school. It is important that you complete this as soon as possible to prevent your child from missing out. If you do not wish your child to be protected, you should still complete the form.

The service also offers community clinics outside of school for those who are home educated or needle phobic.

Young people who miss out on the teenage immunisation sessions remain eligible in older years and should be encouraged to catch up as soon as possible through the school aged immunisation service or by contacting your GP.

What vaccinations is my child entitled to?

Year Group	Vaccine	When
Reception to Year 11	Influenza	September – December
Year 8	Human Papillomavirus (HPV)	January – July
Year 9	Meningococcal ACWY and Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio (Td/IPV)	January – July

Influenza (Flu)

Flu can be very unpleasant for children and can sometimes cause serious problems, such as pneumonia. Each winter in the UK, thousands of children who do not have a health condition need hospital care because of flu. Children can catch and spread flu easily. Vaccinating them also helps protect others who are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu, such as babies, anyone who's pregnant and older people.

The children's flu vaccine is usually given as a quick and painless nasal spray in each nostril.

Children who cannot have the nasal spray vaccine will get a different flu vaccine, given as an injection into the upper arm or thigh.

Find out more – Children's flu vaccine - NHS
Human Papillomavirus

The human papillomavirus is a very common infection, most people will get it during their lifetime. There are many different types of HPV. Most HPV infections do not cause any symptoms and get better on their own. Some types do not clear up and increase the risk of developing some cancers in later life including cervical cancer (cancer of the entrance to the womb), some mouth and throat cancers and some cancers of the genital area.

The HPV vaccine protects against high risk HPV types that cause cancer including most cases (around 90%) of cervical cancer. The vaccine has been used in girls in the UK since 2008 and from September 2019, the vaccine has also been offered to boys. The vaccine protects boys against some kinds of cancer too and will stop them from passing on HPV to their future partners.

Find out more - HPV vaccine - NHS.

Laura’s Story - Get the facts, get the HPV vaccine!
Meningococcal ACWY

Meningitis, sepsis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) are very serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses that can lead to life-changing disabilities, such as amputations, hearing loss and brain damage. Anyone can get meningitis but it's most common in babies, children, teenagers and young adults.

The MenACWY vaccine is given to teenagers and helps protect against 4 other types of bacteria linked to meningitis. Although the vaccine is very effective, it does not prevent all types of meningitis, so it's still important to be aware of the symptoms of meningitis even if you've been vaccinated.

Find out more – MenACWY vaccine – NHS.

Becca’s Story – I underwent multiple surgeries, including the amputation of several fingers.
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (teenage booster)

Tetanus is a painful disease affecting the nervous system which can lead to muscle spasms and can cause breathing problems. Diphtheria is a serious disease that usually begins with a sore throat and can quickly cause breathing problems. Polio is a virus that attacks the nervous system which can cause permanent paralysis of muscles.

You need a total of 5 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and polio vaccines to build up and keep your immunity. You should have had: the frst 3 doses as a baby the fourth dose when you were between 3 and 5 years old, before you started school, and the fifth dose which is due in year 9.

Find out more – Td/IPV vaccine (3-in-1 teenage booster) – NHS.

Want to find out more?

See our list of frequently asked questions about the vaccinations above, including any possible side effects and what to do if you have missed your vaccinations at school.

Frequently asked questions

Contact the service

You can contact the School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS) directly if you have any queries or questions by calling 01522 572950, emailing lhnt.sais@nhs.net or by visiting Lincolnshire Immunisations.

Be aware of anti-vaccine stories

Always get your vaccine and health information from trusted sources, such as the NHS or World Health Organisation (WHO). The vaccine information on social media may not be based on scientific evidence and could put your child at risk of a serious illness. All the current evidence tells us that getting vaccinated is safer than not getting vaccinated.