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Our vaccination teams will be hitting the road across Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire and beyond this autumn with the help of some new wheels.

Two new mobile vaccination vans have been acquired by East of England Community and School-Aged Immunisation Service (CSAIS), thanks to funding from NHS England and will be out doing the rounds of communities from this month. The vans will be used to help reach more vulnerable people of all ages and protect them against all kinds of illnesses, including serious winter illnesses such as flu, Covid and RSV.

Currently, pregnant women and children aged two to 16 years are currently being invited to have their flu vaccine, expanding to those aged six months to 18 years in clinical risk groups. From next month, the flu and COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for all those who are eligible. Other vaccines, human papillomarvirus (HPV), Hepatitis B virus, and Tuberculosis (BCG), including will be available from the mobile vaccination units all year-round.

Caroline Shepherd, Assistant Director for Community and School Aged Immunisation Service and Child Health Information Service in East of England, said: "Our mobile vaccination units will be visiting communities where there has been historically low up-take, so we can encourage more and more people to have their jab.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get their vaccines this autumn, and protect themselves and their loved ones against getting seriously ill. However, people won't just be able to get seasonal vaccines from our mobile vaccination units.

"All vaccines will be available, including those for under 5s, teenagers, pregnant women and older people. If you’ve missed a vaccine or think a loved one might have and you want to make sure you're covered and your loved ones are protected, then please stop by and we can help."

Dr Ele Powers, Head of Public Health Commissioning for Immunisation in NHSE East region said: "We know accessibility of services is key to helping families in our region take up the protection of these vaccines. These new mobile units will bring vaccination services to communities, including the HPV vaccination supporting the NHS ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.

The East of England CSAIS programme, which is part of Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, is responsible for delivering the full UK vaccination programme to school-aged children and communities in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Hertfordshire and West Essex, Mid and South Essex, Norfolk and Waveney, and Suffolk and North East Essex.