Year nine children to be offered vaccinations

Year nine children in Wolverhampton will be offered vaccinations when they return to school after half term.

The city council said parents can sign them up for the Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio booster and a vaccine which protects against four types of meningococcal bacteria.

The councillor responsible for health, Obaida Ahmed, said they could protect children from "serious, potentially life changing illnesses".

She also said providing the vaccinations in school made it "as easy and accessible as possible for families to ensure their children are protected".

The Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio booster, also known as the three-in-one teenage booster, is the final dose of a five-part course that begins in early childhood.

It said the booster in year nine "significantly strengthens immunity and helps maintain protection in later life".

The Meningococcal ACWY vaccine protects against infections which can cause meningitis and septicaemia.

Parents have been told they can provide consent online, through Vaccination UK or verbally, over the phone.

Parents and carers of home educated children can also get the vaccinations, by contacting Vaccination UK directly to arrange an appointment.

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