Summer catch up clinics help children get vaccinated for school return

Parents and carers from Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and St Helens are being invited to attend summer catch up clinics to  ensure vaccinations are up to date before the retun to school in September.

Mersey Care's summer catch up clinics provide an opportunity for secondary school children - primary school children received missed vaccinations from their GP practice - to receive missed vaccinations, which include: 

• MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
• HPV
• Teenage booster vaccinations
• Meningitis ACWY.

Jenny Hurst, Mersey Care's Chief Nurse, said: "Vaccination is one of the safest and most effective ways to protect children and young people from serious diseases, including measles.

"We understand families are busy and sometimes vaccinations can be missed, but our summer catch up clinics provide an easy opportunity to get vaccinations back on track before the new school year starts.

"I'd encourage parents and carers to check their child's vaccination record and contact us if they think a vaccine may have been missed."

The clinics have been organised while measles are continuing  to be reported across England, while health leaders are reminding families that vaccination is the best protection against the disease. Measles is highly infectious and can lead to serious complications, particularly in young children and vulnerable people.

Summer catch up clinics will be running throughout the school holidays and if you're unsure whether your child is up to date with their vaccinations, contact your local Vaccination and Immunisation Team for advice and support.

Vaccines help wrap your child’s immune system up with the best protection.

Being fully vaccinated helps protect against:

• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Whooping cough
• Meningitis
• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Polio
• Hepatitis B
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Pneumonia
• Chicken Pox (if born on or after 1 January 2020)
• HPV related cancers.

Vaccination not only protects your child, but also helps protect babies, older people and others who may be more vulnerable to serious illness.