The school immunisation team is part of the Integrated School Nursing Service and aims to prevent infectious diseases by delivering the school-aged immunisation programme to children throughout Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.
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Anyone can get flu but children have the highest rate of infection. Flu can be serious for children and complications can include bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections. Some children may become so unwell with flu that they need to go to hospital.
Protecting your child from the flu also helps protect others around them, like grandparents or young babies who may be more at risk.
The children’s nasal flu spray is offered every year to all children in schools in Gwent from reception to year 11 in the autumn term.
What do I need to do to get my child the flu vaccine?
Complete your child’s Flu E-Consent Form now, or when received by your child's school.
If your child requires a gelatine-free vaccine, you can request this on the Flu E-Consent Form.
For more information about flu please visit Public Health Wales
Home Educated children
If your child is educated at home, contact your GP surgery or complete your child's Flu E-Consent Form when received by the local authority. When completed we will invite you to a community flu clinic between October and early January. Alternatively you can attend the Cwmbran Vaccination Centre.
HPV (human papillomavirus) a very common virus, more than 70% of people who haven’t had the HPV vaccine will contract the virus at some point in their life. HPV can lead to a range of cancers and some people may also develop genital warts. Getting the vaccine now protects you against future risks.
HPV is usually spread through intimate sexual contact and condoms don't provide complete protection from HPV.
The HPV vaccine is offered to:
What do I need to do to get my child the HPV vaccine?
If your child attends secondary school, they will be given a paper consent form to take home for a parent/guardian to sign and returned to school as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can download the HPV Consent Form and print off at home
Home Educated children
Children and young people who are home-schooled or not currently attending school can have the HPV vaccine at their GP surgery or at the Cwmbran Vaccination Centre. School Nursing also run community immunisation clinics between mid-January and August.
One consent form - 2 vaccines - protection from 7 diseases
Young people have a higher risk of getting meningococcal disease, and although most people will make a good recovery, at worst meningococcal disease causes severe illness that can rapidly result in death.
Making sure your child receives the MenACWY vaccine when it's offered is the best way to protect them against four different causes of meningitis and septicaemia – Meningococcal (Men) A, C, W and Y diseases.
The MenACWY vaccine is offered to all young people aged 13/14 (school year 9) at the same time as the 3-in-1 Teenage Booster.
The 3-in-1 teenage booster vaccine is offered to all young people aged 13/14 (school year 9) at the same time as the MenACWY vaccine.
For more information please read Protection against tetanus, diphtheria and polio from NHS 111.
If you haven't received or have misplaced the information pack, you can download the Meningitis ACWY & 3-in-1 Booster Consent Form and print it off at home.
Home Educated children
Children and young people who are home-schooled or not currently attending school can have the 3-in-1 Teenage Booster vaccine at their GP surgery or at the Cwmbran Vaccination Centre. School Nursing also run community immunisation clinics between mid-January and August.
MMR is a safe and effective combined vaccine that protects against three separate illnesses – measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) – in a single injection. The full course of MMR vaccination requires two doses.
Measles, Mumps and Rubella are serious diseases with life threatening complications such as convulsions (fits) and encephalitis (infection around the brain). MMR vaccine is a safe and highly effective vaccine, it has been rigorously researched. Worldwide over 5 million doses have been given in over 100 countries.
If your child is outstanding the MMR vaccine please contact your GP surgery. To check your child’s immunisation status you can call our team on 01633 431 685
For more information read Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) from NHS Direct.
The MenACWY vaccine should also be given to all individuals under 25 years of age who are planning to attend university for the first time or those in their first academic year at university if they have not already received the vaccine. Ideally the vaccine should be administered at least two weeks prior to starting university.
Older teenagers and first time university students are at high risk of infection because they tend to live in close contact in shared accommodation, such as university halls of residence.
What do I need to do?
Contact your GP to arrange an appointment or alternatively you can attend Cwmbran Vaccination Centre.
For more information about the vaccine read Aged 13-18 years? Or Under 25 and starting university? from NHS 111. For more information on the signs and symptoms of Meningitis go to the Meningitis Now website.