Children and young people in Lanarkshire who have missed their routine school-based immunisations do not need to wait until the school immunisation team returns to their school.
With an increase in flu cases among young people, NHS Lanarkshire is reminding parents and carers that pupils can attend any of the Board’s community vaccination clinics to receive their missed school immunisations. This will help ensure young people are protected as early as possible and do not experience unnecessary delay, particularly as the school immunisation team is unlikely to revisit schools before the New Year.
The health board is encouraging families to use this opportunity to protect themselves and those around them over the festive period, when people are more likely to be socialising, visiting relatives and coming into close contact with older or more vulnerable family members.
Henry Prempeh, Consultant in Public Health, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “The festive period is a special time when families come together, often across generations. We want children and young people to be able to enjoy this time while also helping to protect the people they care about from flu.
“The flu vaccine offered through the school programme is a simple but very effective way to reduce the risk of children catching flu and passing it on to others. If your child has missed their flu vaccine at school, you do not need to wait for another school visit. You can bring them to one of our community vaccination clinics so they can catch up and have that extra layer of protection before and during the holidays.
“Taking up the offer of the flu vaccine now means you are not just protecting your child from becoming unwell, but also helping to look after grandparents, vulnerable relatives and others they will be spending time with over the festive season.”
Flu can come on quickly and cause a wide range of symptoms, including a sudden high temperature, tiredness and weakness, headache, general aches and pains, a dry, chesty cough, a sore throat, chills, and cold-like symptoms. Symptoms may also include vomiting and diarrhoea.
Parents and carers can find details of vaccination clinic locations, opening times to drop into on the NHS Lanarkshire website at:
https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/vaccine-centres/
