Vaccination push for pupils in city's schools

Vaccinations offering greater protection against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, meningitis and septicaemia are being offered to pupils in Wolverhampton.

This term those in Year 9 at local secondary schools could have two, the council said.

One protects against tetanus, diphtheria and polio while the "Men ACWY" vaccine helps protect "against meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y which can cause meningitis and septicaemia".

The authority said it would urge parents of eligible children to complete consent forms as soon as possible.

They could do that by visiting Vaccination UK, which was commissioned by NHS England to provide school-aged immunisations, or by completing a paper form from their school, it added.

Meningitis is an infection of the lining of the brain and can be life-threatening unless diagnosed and treated early.

The vaccination push comes as millions of parents in England are being contacted by the NHS and urged to make an appointment to have their children vaccinated against measles, as cases rise across the country.

More than 3.4 million children aged under 16 were unprotected, NHS England said.

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