Vacci
nations help protect you, your baby or child and your family from many serious diseases. They help protect other people who can’t have vaccinations themselves too. Some people may experience mild side-effects, but these usually don’t last long.
Vaccinations are safe.
How Vaccines Work
When your child has a vaccine they develop antibodies to protect against the disease. After this, if your child comes into contact with the disease, their body will recognise it and know how to fight against it with those antibodies.
After your child receives their baby and pre-school immunisations at the doctors, the rest of their childhood vaccinations are given in school by the School Age Immunisation Service.
This service is available to all children and young people of school age, whether they attend state school, independent school, complex needs schools or alternative settings.
Children and young people who are educated at home can attend community clinics or their local school to receive the vaccines. Please contact the team on the details at the bottom of the page.
Myth Busting
In recent years there have been a lot of stories about vaccines in the media and online. Many of these are not based on any facts but have made people worry. It is important that you get information about vaccinations from a trusted source. The Oxford Vaccine Knowledge Project gives independent fact checked information.
Your baby can still have their vaccinations if:
It's really important that premature babies still have their vaccinations from 8 weeks old. They may be at higher risk of catching infections if you wait.
It may seem very early to give a vaccination to such a tiny baby. But many scientific studies have shown that it's a good time to give them vaccines.
Vaccines do not:
Common Questions:
I’m worried the vaccines could be harmful to my child
All the vaccines given are very carefully tested for a long time before they are approved for use on humans and continue to be monitored. Complications are very, very rare whereas the diseases they protect us from are very dangerous.
I’ve heard homeopathy / special diets can be used instead of vaccines is this true?
There is no proof that homeopathy / diets can protect your child from serious diseases. We know that vaccinations do.
Is it better to get the disease and try and get immune that way?
This is very risky because the diseases that vaccines protect us from can have very serious complications.
It’s completely normal for children and young people to feel a bit worried about having their vaccines. Talking to your child about what is going to happen can help you keep them calm.
Here are some facts from School Immunisation Team that may help your child feel less worried.
Remind your child that vaccines are a very important way of protecting themselves as well as those people who are not able to have vaccinations because of some rare health conditions.
Top Tips for Babies
Do:
Don't:
Top Tips for Older Children & Young People
Your child might be calm and confident about having the vaccine, but there are still some things you can do so they are prepared.
Remember there will be a nurse to support your child and chat to them about what is happening. They are skilled at helping children cope with their nerves.
HospiChill is a free app to help young people feel physically and emotionally ready for each of their immunisations.
If your child is extremely anxious please get in touch with the service. We can talk about how we can help them. Sometimes it helps if:
Home visits are available in rare circumstances when there is a specific medical need.
Your baby or child may cry for a little while after a vaccination, but they should feel better after a cuddle. Sometimes the area where the needle goes in can be sore and red for 2 to 3 days. This should go away on its own.
Some children may also develop a high temperature but this can usually be managed at home.
After Care
After the injection your child can carry on as normal.
If you think your child is unwell you should contact the GP or 111. If you have any questions about the vaccinations you can contact the team on the number below.
Measles & Mumps Increase
Measles and mumps are starting to appear again in England, even though the MMR vaccine is safe and protects against both diseases.
Measles and mumps cases in England have nearly doubled in recent years. The table below shows how many cases of measles and mumps there have been in England in 2016 and 2018.
Year Measles Mumps
2016 541 573
2018 989 1088
Whooping Cough
Whooping Cough, also called pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways and can make babies and young children in particular very ill.
Whooping Cough cases are currently rising and protecting your baby/child is very important. Vaccination is the best way to make sure your family are protected and vaccinations are available during pregnancy and when your baby/child is 8, 12 and 16 weeks and 3 years 4 months old.
Pregnant women can help protect their babies by getting vaccinated – ideally from 16 weeks up to 32 weeks pregnant. If for any reason you miss having the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour.
Find more information about Whooping Cough vaccination in pregnancy
Consent
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. This is known as being Gillick Competent.
Missed Appointments & Alternative Settings
If a child misses a school session for any vaccination, either because they were off on the day of the visit or they are not attending school for any reason, parents/carers should be advised to contact the Community and School-aged Immunisation Service (CSAIS) provider directly to arrange for vaccination in a scheduled community clinic. The contact details are:
0300 555 5055- option 2, or email hct.csaisnorfolk@nhs.net
If you are home-schooling your children, they can still get this important protection from disease. For missed covid-19 vaccinations you can attend your local vaccination centre.
GPs can offer catch-up for:
Other vaccinations can be accessed by:
The HPV course can be started for young women up to the day before their 18th birthday. Other high school vaccinations are available up to the age of 19.
If 95% of children receive the MMR vaccine, it's possible to get rid of measles.
However, measles, mumps and rubella can quickly spread again if fewer than 90% of people are vaccinated.
You can contact the Healthy Child Service team by calling Just One Number on 0300 300 0123 or texting Parentline on 07520 631590. Our opening hours are 8am-6pm Monday-Friday (excluding bank holidays) and 9am-1pm on Saturdays.
For questions or queries about school age immunisations you can contact Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust by calling 0300 555 5055 and selecting Option 2 or emailing hct.csaisnorfolk@nhs.net
If you are 11-19 you can text ChatHealth on 07480 635060 for confidential advice from one of our team.
The Lullaby Trust - Baby Check App- This
app has simple checks that you can do if your baby is ill and helps you think about whether they need to see a doctor or health professional.
You can speak to other Norfolk parents and carers by clicking our online community forum below.
