Vaccinations

Flu can be an unpleasant illness in children and some children can develop serious complications. By offering the flu vaccination to as many children as possible, we hope to protect both them and other family members in time for winter as the infection is less able to spread. The vaccine is given as a nasal flu spray which is quick and easy to administer.

The school age immunisation service will be offering flu immunisations to more than 45,000 Children in Doncaster from September through to January.

If your child is in one of the eligible cohorts you either be sent via school an electronic link to complete a consent form online or you will be given a letter and consent form by school to bring home for you to complete.

If you do not receive either, please contact the school age immunisation service.

For further information about the flu vaccine see the following links:

• Children’s flu vaccine (opens in new window)
• Protecting your child against flu (opens in new window)

Meningitis

The meningitis vaccine (MenACWY) protects against the four main groups of meningococcal bacteria that cause meningitis and septicaemia.

Meningitis can result from infection from a virus, bacteria, other disease organism or as a result of injury.

The vaccination and immunisation team will contact you through school in year 9.

For further information see the following links:

• meningitis vaccine information (opens in new window)
• protect yourself against meningitis and septicaemia (opens in new window)

Tetanus, diphtheria and polio

Tetanus is a painful disease affecting the nervous system and is caused when germs found in soil and manure get into the body through open wounds.

Diphtheria is a serious disease that often begins with a sore throat. It can damage the heart, nervous system and in severe cases may kill.

Polio is a virus that attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis of the muscles. If it affects the chest muscles or brain it can kill.

You need to have five doses of tetanus, diphtheria and polio vaccine (Td/IPV) to build up and maintain immunity. The fifth dose is delivered in school in year 9, sometimes called the school leaver’s booster.

The vaccination and immunisation team will contact you through school.

See 3-in-1 teenage booster (opens in new window) for further information about the vaccine.

Human papillomavirus

The human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause disease in several parts of the body and can be passed on by having intimate sexual contact with someone who already has the virus. There are around 200 types of HPV, many of which are harmless, some of which can cause genital warts, and others that can cause cancer of the anus, mouth and throat and in men, penis and women, cervix, vagina and vulva, The vaccine protects against 9 types of HPV which significantly help to reduce the incidents of these diseases.

Condoms can reduce the risk of infection but can’t prevent the spread completely as HPV can infect parts of the body not covered by a condom and therefore may be transferred during sexual contact.

From 2008, when the HPV vaccine was first introduced it was only offered to girls, but since 2019 both boys and girls have been given the vaccine, which has also helped to reduce the overall numbers of cervical cancer in women through a process known as herd immunity.

The vaccines will prevent up to 90% of cervical cancer cases, but women should still attend for cervical screening when invited, which continues to be offered to all women aged 25 and over in England.

The School Age Immunisation team will contact you through school when your child is in Year 8 to offer your child an HPV vaccine. Please complete and submit the electronic consent form that school forward you so that your child can be included in the vaccination programme.

Page last reviewed: March 04, 2025
Next review due: March 04, 2026