The Service offers the full UK vaccination programme to all school aged children in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk.
We also provide BCG and At-Risk Hepatitis B vaccinations to babies and young children. We follow a yearly programme, and work with Vaccination UK (who deliver our influenza programme each year).
We hold community clinics or visit some children at home for those who missed or have not been able to have their vaccinations at school.
The COVID 19 pandemic has meant that many children and young people have missed out on the usual opportunity to receive their vaccinations. You can check the UK Immunisation schedule at NHS.uk - Vaccinations. Please contact us if you would like to book an appointment or to discuss the vaccination programme.
Current and Prospective 2022/23 Academic Year Plans
Hertfordshire
HPV1 (Yr 8 Students)
Starting September 2022
HPV2 (Yr 8 Students)
Starting April 2023
Meningitis ACWY & DTP (Yr 9 Students)
Starting December 2022
Influenza (All children – R to Yr 11)
Starting October 2022
HepB – SEND Schools (Dose 1 & 2)
Starting January 2023
Further information about these vaccinations can be found below, or if you’d like to read more about the full childhood vaccination programme please visit NHS.uk - Vaccinations.
What vaccines we provide
Our programme covers the following vaccines, please click on the links to find out more about each one:
If you need to speak to someone in our teams to discuss your vaccination appointment or if you have an eligibility enquiry please get in touch:
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire Community and School Age Immunisation Service: Telephone Number: 0300 555 5055 Option 1 – 8am to 4pm Email: hct.immsenquiries@nhs.net Follow us on Twitter: @HCTNHS
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Community and School Age Immunisations Service: Telephone Number: 0300 555 5055 (Option 2) – 8am to 4pm Email: hct.csaiscambspb@nhs.net Follow us on Twitter: @CambsImmsTeam
Norfolk
Norfolk Community and School Age Immunisations Service: Telephone Number: 0300 555 5055 (Option 3) – 8am to 4pm Email: hct.csaisnorffolk@nhs.net Follow us on Twitter: @ImmsNorfolk
Suffolk
Suffolk Community and School Age Immunisations Service: Telephone Number: 0300 555 5055 (Option 4) – 8m to 4pm Email: hct.csaissuffolk@nhs.net Follow us on Twitter: @SuffolkImmsTeam
Vaccinations have age brackets where you first become eligible, and often there is a set period (normally four weeks) between doses of the same vaccine).
However, you can have several different vaccines at once. For example, you can have your School Leaving Booster (DTP) and your Meningitis ACWY vaccination on the same day.
For the 2021/22 Academic Year the eligibility will be as follows:
Date of birth – PRIMARY SCHOOL
Year group
Vaccinations eligible
1 September 2017 to 31 August 2018
Nursery
Influenza (Given at GP)
1 September 2016 to 31 August 2017
Reception
Influenza
1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016
Year 1
Influenza
1 September 2014 to 31 August 2015
Year 2
Influenza
1 September 2013 to 31 August 2014
Year 3
Influenza
1 September 2012 to 31 August 2013
Year 4
Influenza
1 September 2011 to 31 August 2012
Year 5
Influenza
1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011
Year 6
Influenza
Date of birth – SECONDARY SCHOOL
Year group
Vaccinations Eligible
1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010
Year 7
Influenza
1 September 2008 to 31 August 2009
Year 8
Influenza, HPV
1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008
Year 9
Influenza, MenACWY, DTP
1 September 2006 to 31 August 2007
Year 10
Influenza
1 September 2005 to 31 August 2006
Year 11
Influenza
A child will continue to be eligible for a vaccine even if they missed it the first year of eligibility – for example, if a HPV vaccination was missed in Year 8, it can still be give as a catch up in Year 9.
There are some specific requirements for each vaccine or area, which is described in the chart below:
Vaccine
Year
Note
Influenza
ALL
Given nasally – an alternative with no porcine gelatine content is now available – please ask for more information if you require this alternative
HPV Dose 1
Year 8
Normally given in Autumn Term – Note: Boys in Year 11+ 2021/22 are not eligible for HPV vaccine
HPV Dose 2
Year 8/9
Can be given in Summer Term or next Autumn Term - Must have a minimum of 6 months between Dose 1 and Dose 2
HPV Dose 3
Year 8+
If you start your HPV vaccines after your 15th birthday you need to receive a 3rd dose of vaccine to complete your course
MenACWY
Year 9
Given together with DTP on the same day
HepB Dose 1/2
ALL (SEND)
This vaccine is offered to patients attending SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Schools only as two doses, four weeks apart
MMR
Herts Year 7/8 EA Year 10+
If you are over 5 and have missed either MMR dose you can receive this at any time via your GP practice; Hertfordshire School students in year 7 and 8 or East Anglia students in Year 10 and above can receive this via the CSAIS Team and community catch-up sessions as well.
How do you consent to be vaccinated?
For those under the age of 16, parents, or adults with Parental Responsibility granted through court, must give consent for vaccination via our online system.
Parents/carers will receive the information from school, usually via the school’s email or text system, including instructions for giving or declining consent online via our accessible “E-Consent” process, as well as a closing date. Young adults over the age of 16 are able to consent themselves without requiring parental consent.
It is important to remember to complete your consent form online even if you or your child is refusing to receive the vaccination with us. We can base future planning and changes to how vaccinations are provided from your responses and ensure our services meet your needs. You can change your consent/refusal at any time whilst the online portal is open use the link provided by your school – or if you need to urgently change this consent form and the portal is already closed for that session please call us on the Contact Us details listed above.
Very occasionally, a young person under the age of 16 may request a vaccination without parental consent. In these circumstances a qualified clinician would make a thorough assessment of the young person’s understanding, knowledge and competence to make such a decision. If the decision is made that they have the right level of knowledge and understanding, and they cannot be persuaded to discuss it with their parents, the clinician may go ahead and vaccinate the young person, known as Gillick Competency.
Children will be called down in groups to be given their vaccinations on the day we visit their school.
Children absent on the day of the vaccination session may be able to be seen at a future session if the team have more than one session booked for the vaccine. Alternatively, you may have an invitation to book an appointment at one of our community clinics should you wish to catch up any missed school vaccines.
It’s completely natural that children might feel anxious about having their vaccines. Here is some advice on how to reassure your child about some common worries, and how best to look after them once they’ve had a vaccination. If you have anything that you or your child are about worried about, you can call the immunisation team.
Top tips
It helps to talk to your child about why they are having a vaccine. You could explain that it is only a few seconds only of discomfort and protects them from diseases that could make them very unwell.
If you can, make sure your child wears short sleeves on the day as this makes it much easier and quicker, and your child won’t have to undo/take their shirt off.
Encourage your child to eat breakfast. Being anxious burns more calories and can cause a headache after they’ve had the injection.
If your child is anxious they could practice deep breathing to help them relax. They can use an app like Headspace, or count to 10 breathing slowly in through their nose and then out through their mouth.
The nurse will support your child and chat to them about the vaccination process.
Suggest that your child flicks the palm of their own hand – the sensation and length of time it lasts are similar to having an injection.
Getting and feeling ready
The injection is not like a blood test. It is easier and much quicker.
It feels like a pinch or a cat scratch.
The needles are not huge - just long enough to get to the right place!
It’s much quicker than having a piercing or a tattoo.
The needle cannot break off in your arm and we can’t leave any part of it inside you.
Reactions to vaccines are very rare, and even more common ones tend to be mild and pass quickly.
The vaccine protects you, it doesn’t harm you – even if you feel sore or tired after the vaccination you’re not sick; it’s just your immune system working, and your body learning how to fight that virus in the future.
Aftercare
Your child will be advised to continue with their normal activities and to move their arm regularly after their injection. This will help to avoid the arm feeling stiff.
It is very common to experience mild side effects such as redness, pain and swelling at the injection site. Paracetamol can be taken if needed.
Your GP practice will be automatically notified that you’ve received a vaccination so that it can be recorded in your medical record at the GP – you don’t need to tell them separately.
If parents, carers or children have any concerns, they can contact the team via the details on our Contact Us page. Out of hours, advice should be sought from 111 or their GP if you feel you have had a reaction to a vaccine.
The Trust's Patient and Carer Experience Team supports everyone who uses our services to share their feedback and to work alongside the Trust departments to understand feedback and make improvements where necessary.
One of the tools we use is the Friends and Family Test; which is a national questionnaire designed to measure how well a service is performing and where there may be areas for improvement.
If you would like to know more about the Patient and Carer Experience Team please visit their homepage here.
Alternatively if you’d like to contact the teams directly:
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) Telephone Number: 0800 011 6113 / 01707 388164 - 10am to 2pm Email: pals.hchs@nhs.net
Raising a formal complaint and providing feedback Telephone Number: 01707 388036 - 9.30am to 4pm Email: hct.patientexperienceteam@nhs.net