Child Immunisation Service

Immunisation makes sure that our bodies are best-protected against some serious diseases. It means that if we come into contact with certain diseases our bodies are better-equipped to fight them off.

As a result of the UK’s national immunisation programme, a number of diseases have disappeared from the UK, such as polio. However, as they are still present in other countries, they could come back, so it is vital that we remain protected. Maintaining high immunisation rates means that we not only protect ourselves, but also our families and communities, and it helps to keep diseases at bay.

We offer the following immunisation services through our School Vaccination Programme.

Our school-based immunisation team is responsible for school-based immunisation programmes in the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Brent, Ealing, Hillingdon and Camden.

Our vaccination programmes are primarily carried out in school-based settings and are delivered according to national campaigns and the scheduled school vaccination programme. 

We offer local catch-up clinics for those children who have been absent during school vaccination programmes or for young people who are educated at home or have an individual need.

We offer the following vaccinations:

• The HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccine for 12 to 13 year old girls in year 8 and from September 2019 boys aged 12 to 13 years at school in year 8
• The DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and polio) teenage booster for 13 to 14 year old girls and boys in year 9
• Meningococcal (Meningitis) ACWY vaccine for 13 to 14 year old girls and boys in year 9
• Seasonal influenza (‘flu) vaccination (Reception class and years 1, 2, 3, 4,5 and 6)

We also offer a BCG vaccination programme:

The way neonatal BCG is delivered in London was changed on 1 September 2020 from a universal programme to a programme targeting those babies most at risk of TB. In addition, delivery of neonatal BCG was moved from maternity services to community clinics. From 1 September 2020, when a baby is born in London, the maternity service is required to identify whether the baby is eligible for BCG immunisation. If a baby is identified as eligible for BCG immunisation, then the maternity service should refer the baby to the local community BCG clinic for immunisation after birth.

CNWL BCG Community clinics are available to babies if they are identified as at increased risk of TB.

The groups eligible for vaccination are:

1. All infants (aged 0 to 12 months) with a parent, grandparent, or anyone who lives with them who was born in a high risk country where the annual incidence of TB is 40/100,000 or greater.
2. All infants (aged 0 to 12 months) living in areas of the UK where the annual incidence of TB is 40/100,000 or greater (the Boroughs of Ealing, Brent and Camden are no longer high risk Boroughs).
3. All infants (aged 0 to 12 months) who will be going to live or stay with friends and family in a high risk country for 3 months or more.
4. All infants (aged 0 to 12 months) who live with, or spend a lot of time with anyone who has had TB now or in the past 5 years.

Referral to the service must be made by a GP or Health Visitor using a completed referral form for Brent, Ealing and Hillingdon.

Camden residents can telephone the booking department on 020 3317 5076.

Other services we offer include:

• Guidance on immunisation for professionals looking after children with underlying medical conditions
• Specialist immunisation advice to GP practices and other health professionals
• Interventions to reduce inequalities in the uptake for special groups (travellers, looked after children, unaccompanied children asylum-seekers, unregistered children and child in need).

Our team is led by an immunisations specialist nurse who works with our school nursing service. The team work in partnership with Public Health England, GPs, the school nursing teams and local services such as health visiting, community children’s nursing teams, looked-after children's teams, the Child Development Centre and social services.

Consent forms and information leaflets are sent out by your child’s school or direct to parents and carers at the appropriate time. Please make sure you complete the consent forms and return these to the service as the form explains.

We will always make the most effort to receive the completed consent form from parents and carers. However, if the consent form is not received, young people in secondary school are able to self-consent in certain circumstances (known as ‘Gillick Competence’) but only after an individual assessment by the immunisation nurse. The nurse will check the child meets certain guidelines, such as being able to understand the information and have capacity in order to self-consent.

The nurse will check the consent form and make sure your child is well and able to have the immunisations that day.

This service is for:

• children in reception class to year six for Influenza nasal spray vaccine
• children in year nine to senior school year for teenage boosters
• year 8 HPV vaccine

All children in education are automatically referred. Parents and professionals can self-refer children by calling the service directly.

We operate between 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday.

For the Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Camden school-based immunisation service, please contact the inner London Immunisation Team:

Ground Floor, Peckwater Centre 6 Peckwater Street London NW5 2TX

Telephone: 020 3317 5076 (Immunisation office) or 020 3317 5074 (Immunisation Nurse)

For the Brent, Ealing and Hillingdon school-based immunisation service, please contact the outer London Immunisation Team:

The Warren Health Centre Uxbridge Road Hayes UB4 0SF

Telephone: 01895 485740