Increasing School Immunisation Uptake in East Sussex Secondary Schools
Helping every pupil in East Sussex to stay protected, healthy and ready to learn
- Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect children and young people from serious infectious diseases.
- Schools play a vital role in supporting the NHS Immunisation Service. School support ensures pupils can access vaccinations easily and safely at school.
- Schools are allowed to share information with NHS immunisation team to help protect children’s health.
- Schools can legally share pupil and family contact information.
- Vaccination helps prevent outbreaks, reduce absence, protect vulnerable members of the community. It supports pupils to remain healthy and ready to learn.
Why school support matters
Giving vaccinations in schools makes it easier for children to get protected.
It helps more children have their vaccinations and supports fair access for everyone.
Schools are trusted by families. They play an important role in helping children get the vaccinations they need to stay healthy.
The NHS School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) relies on schools to:
- Work collaboratively with the NHS immunisation team to plan vaccination sessions.
- Liaise with vaccine Co-ordinator’s to agree a vaccination session date once received via email from the NHS immunisation team
- Nominate a named immunisation lead or key contact to liaise with the service
- Share vaccination information and consent forms with parents and carers using the school's usual communication channels.
- Provide pupil and parent contact details as required to support the consent process.
- Encourage timely completion of consent forms.
- Ensure all eligible pupils can attend vaccination sessions, including those without a returned consent form.
Five practical actions for schools
1. Nominate an immunisation lead
Identify a named member of staff to coordinate with the NHS Immunisation Service. This helps ensure effective planning, clear communication and smooth delivery on vaccination day.
2. Promote vaccination early
Use school newsletters, websites, parent apps, social media and parent evenings to tell families about vaccination days.
3. Encourage consent form completion and return
Share consent information promptly and remind parents and carers to complete forms before the deadline. Signpost families to trusted NHS information to support informed decision making.
4. Support vaccination day logistics
Provide a suitable room for the vaccination team and let them set up before the session starts. Help pupils move smoothly to and from the vaccination session during the day. Try to keep lessons and school activities running as normal.
Tell the vaccination team when break times and lunch times are so they can avoid delays where possible.
Inform immunisation team about break and lunch times to avoid delays where possible.
5. Promote catch up opportunities
Tell families about local vaccination clinics and catch-up appointments if their child misses their vaccination at school.
Vaccinations offered in secondary schools
| School Year | Vaccination | Protects against | NHS website links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years 7-11 | Seasonal Flu* | Flu and flu-related complications | Children's flu vaccine - NHS |
| Year 8 | HPV* | HPV-related cancers and genital warts | HPV vaccine - NHS |
| Year 9 | MenACWY & Teenage Booster (Td/IPV)* | Meningitis and septicaemia caused by meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y Tetanus, diphtheria and polio | MenACWY vaccine - NHS Td/IPV vaccine (3-in-1 teenage booster) - NHS |
*Flu cohorts may vary each year.
*HPV and Teenage Booster vaccinations – we will attempt to catch any older years up who missed vaccination the year before. Really helpful when schools timetable these selected children into the day
Supporting a whole school approach
Vaccination promotion can support wider school health and wellbeing priorities through:
- Teaching and Learning including the health and prevention curriculum activities
- Parent engagement initiatives
- Student, staff and wider community health