Flu and MMR vaccination

Vaccination form

Click on the child vaccination form button to consent or decline the vaccination for your child. You only need their name, date of birth and postcode, you don't need their NHS number. Our team will contact you to confirm if you do or don't want your child to have the vaccination if we don't hear from you, so please let us know.

Child vaccination form

Flu

The nasal spray flu vaccine is offered every year to all primary school-aged children during the winter months to help protect them against flu. The vaccine is given as a spray squirted up each nostril. It's quick, painless, safe and effective.

Children can catch and spread flu easily. Vaccinating them also protects others who are vulnerable to flu, such as babies and older people and can help your child avoid a nasty spell of illness that can lead to other problems including bronchitis. Find out more about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine at NHS.uk.

If your child has missed their flu vaccine at school, is home educated, you want them to have the gelatine-free injection, or you would prefer to have their immunisation outside the school setting, you can book an appointment at one of our community immunisation clinics.

You might want to show your child these short videos explaining how the flu vaccine is delivered.

Viral shedding

Although vaccinated children are known to shed some virus for a few days after vaccination, it is less able to spread from person-to-person than a natural flu infection. The amount of virus shed is normally below the levels needed to pass on infection to others and the virus does not survive for long outside of the body.

Find out more about viral shedding

This is in contrast to natural flu infection, which spreads easily during the flu season. In schools using vaccine, therefore, the overall risk of influenza transmission is reduced by having a large number of children vaccinated, thus reducing their risk of infection

In the US, where there has been extensive use of LAIV for many years, serious illness amongst immunocompromised contacts who are inadvertently exposed to vaccine virus has never been observed. Expert doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital, who deal with many children with very serious immune problems, do not recommend keeping such children off school purely because of vaccination.

A tiny number of children who are extremely severely immunocompromised e.g. immediately after a bone marrow transplant, would not be attending school anyway because the risk from all the other infections that children pass to each other at school would be too great. It is important that all children with immune problems should themselves be vaccinated, usually with an injected inactivated vaccine. Similarly, healthy children who have family contacts who are very severely immunocompromised should be given an inactivated influenza vaccine.

(Source Public Health England, 2017)

MMR

We are offering a measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) catch-up to all young people who have missed a first or second dose. You’ll need to contact us to arrange an appointment using our contact details at the bottom of the page.

The MMR vaccine is a safe and effective combined vaccine offered to four to 19 year-olds as part of a catch-up campaign in our community clinics. This vaccine is given as an injection in the arm.

It protects against three serious illnesses:

These highly infectious conditions can easily spread between unvaccinated people. Getting vaccinated is important, as these conditions can also lead to serious problems including meningitis, hearing loss and problems during pregnancy. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles, mumps and rubella.

If your child has missed any vaccinations

Your child will be offered a range of vaccinations throughout their lives. Visit NHS.uk for a checklist of the vaccines and the ages at which they should be given.

You can ring your GP if you are unsure if your child has missed any vaccinations.

If your child has missed their flu vaccine at school, is home educated or you would prefer to have their immunisation outside the school setting, you can book an appointment at one of our community immunisation clinics.

Families who might need further support

We understand children with special educational needs, anxiety or a disability may find vaccination sessions stressful. We would like to offer all children the opportunity to receive their vaccinations in an appropriate and comfortable environment.

We can go to your child’s school and vaccinate – you may wish to be with them, but this is not a requirement.
We have regular community clinics across Kent and Medway that vary from children’s centres to hospitals. You can book at a location and time of your choice and come along with your child.
In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer home visits.

Immunisation Service

If you have any queries on a vaccination or need extra support for a child with a health condition, disability or additional need.

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