Childhood Immunisations

As a parent, you may not like seeing your baby or child being given an injection, but vaccination will help protect them against a range of serious and potentially fatal diseases.

There are 3 good reasons to have your child vaccinated:

·         Vaccinations are quick, safe and extremely effective

·         Once your child has been vaccinated against a disease, their body can fight it off better

·         If a child is not vaccinated, they're at higher risk of catching and becoming very ill from the illness

There will always be some children who are unprotected because:

·         They cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons

·         They’re too young to be vaccinated

·         The vaccine does not work (although this is rare)

But if more parents have their children vaccinated, more children in the community will be protected against an illness, such as a measles outbreak. 

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATIONS

Guidance to keep you safe when attending your vaccination appointment:

While coronavirus has put limitations on all our lives, it is important that you or your baby or child still have routine vaccinations. They protect against serious and potentially deadly illnesses and stop outbreaks in the community. We recommend that you [attend/book in for] your next scheduled appointment – see www.nhs.uk/vaccinations for details on when they are due.

Travelling to and from your appointment: 

When travelling to and from your appointment, please follow guidelines which include travelling by car, bike or on foot if possible, keeping a safe distance from others and washing your hands regularly. For more details, go to www.gov.uk and search ‘staying safe outside your home’.

When attending your appointment:

When attending your appointment, we will be putting in place a range of measures to minimise any risk of COVID-19:

• Social distancing measures will be observed
• We may have asked you to attend your appointment at a clinic that is not at your usual venue
• The appointment may take longer than usual

Due to the on-going response to COVID-19, our service may have a reduced number of appointment slots available. If you choose not to attend your appointment, please contact your GP practice.

It is always helpful for us to know why so we can help you with any concerns you might have. If you still don’t wish to attend the appointment, it can be offered to someone else. 

You must NOT attend an appointment if you or any member of your household is suffering from any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or are self-isolating.  

If this applies to you, please contact your GP practice so that you can reschedule your appointment for a different time. 

If you are identified as clinically extremely vulnerable and have been shielding, please contact your GP practice for the latest advice on what to do.   

BCG VACCINATION 

BCG vaccine is given to those babies who are likely to come into contact with someone with tuberculosis (TB). This includes babies who live in an area with high rates of TB or babies with parents or grandparents from a country with high rates of TB.

HAS YOUR BABY RECEIVED BCG VACCINE?

If your baby has not received the BCG vaccination then please contact VACCINATION UK for more information and to arrange an appointment.

Weekly clinics are being held however appointments need to be made to ensure social distancing measures are being adhered to.