Lincolnshire 16–18 year-olds can now take advantage of an innovative new vaccination catch-up campaign.
Run by the NHS in the county, the 16-18 Years Vaccination Catch Up Campaign is targeted at those who might have missed their school vaccinations. It is being held in colleges, sixth forms and community clinics until the end of March.
“It is widely known that uptake of routine childhood vaccines has been in decline for a number of years now, including the meningitis and HPV vaccines for teenagers, with uptake of all vaccines lower than the recommended 95% coverage needed to reduce transmission,” comments Karen Goy, Lead Nurse for Quality and Risk, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).
“School-based vaccination programmes were severely interrupted during the pandemic. This means that a considerable number – potentially up to 6,000 – of our 16–18 year-olds missed their chance then to get vaccinated and are missing at least one of the routine teenage vaccinations usually offered in school year 8 or 9.”
Vaccination uptake in Lincolnshire for young people routinely offered the MenACWY vaccine – which helps protect against life-threatening illnesses including meningitis and sepsis – in the 2021-22 school year was just 72% in year 9, compared to 87% in year 9 in the 2018-19 school year.
Similarly, uptake of the HPV vaccine – which helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV), some types of which are linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancer – for females in 2021-22 was 66% in year 8, compared to 89% in Year 8 for 2018-19.
“This severe drop off in vaccine uptake is not limited to Lincolnshire. It is a national challenge and one that is causing us great concern, not least of which because we are losing the ground we had made on reducing cases of some potentially life-threatening diseases,” explains Karen.
The importance of getting vaccinated
Since its launch in 2015 in response to a new and particularly virulent strain of meningitis, the MenW strain, the MenACWY vaccine has successfully reduced cases of meningitis across all ages. Meningitis can affect anyone at any time but is most common in infants, teenagers, and young people, it highlights the importance of these groups getting vaccinated.
“Similarly, since the introduction of the HPV vaccine in 2008, more than 10 million doses have been given in the UK, leading to a reduction in rates of cervical cancer by 90%,” adds Karen. “It is 99% effective and also protects men and women against genital warts, other cancers of the genital areas and anus, as well as some mouth and throat (head and neck) cancers.”
Additional vaccination sessions
All of which explains why the NHS in Lincolnshire is so keen to see 16-18 year-olds who have missed one or more of their vaccinations, and why it has developed this catch-up campaign and organised a number of vaccinations sessions over the next couple of months in locations across the county.
Details of these sessions can be found on our 16-18 Years Catch Up Campaign page.
Alternatively, the vaccination team can be contacted by telephone on 01522 301980 or via email lhnt.vrrt@nhs.net
“These vaccination sessions are in addition to those we have already run and continue to run in schools and colleges. Open to all 16–18 year-olds, they do not need to be pre-booked and you can just turn up. Do not worry if you are unsure which vaccines you might need. Our teams will be able to talk you through this and answer any queries or concerns you might have.”
Eligibility
Young people are eligible for the MenACWY vaccine until their 25th birthday. The HPV vaccine is available for all girls under 25 years or boys born after 1st September 2006. If you are older than 18, please speak to your GP practice. These vaccines are free on the NHS, and it is never too late to get vaccinated.