East Riding of Yorkshire Council is encouraging parents and carers to check their child’s vaccinations are up to date.
East Riding public health has created a handy checklist bookmark which can be kept on a noticeboard, fridge or diary as a visual reminder of the key times a child should be vaccinated, from the first weeks up into the early teens. The bookmark also overviews the recommended NHS vaccinations during pregnancy.
The vaccination bookmark project is part of a wider public health campaign to help educate and remind parents and carers about why NHS vaccinations are so important and advise residents to speak to trusted health professionals, such as their midwife, health visitor or GP, if they have any questions or concerns.
Over the past week the bookmarks have been going out in primary school bags across the East Riding, and they will also be available in libraries and other community spaces in the coming weeks.
The East Riding has a good uptake in childhood vaccinations overall, but there are concerns that less families are coming forward for the routine free NHS vaccinations since the pandemic, both regionally and nationally.
- Vaccines teach the body’s immune system how to create antibodies that protect you from diseases
- They help to protect you and your child from many serious and potentially deadly diseases
- Vaccines protect other people in your family and community – by helping to stop diseases spreading to people who cannot have vaccines, such as babies too young to be vaccinated and those who are too ill to be vaccinated.
Zoe Stevens, public health nurse consultant for East Riding of Yorkshire Council, says:
“Together with our local health partners, we want to get everyone talking about vaccinations – not just parents and carers, but grandparents and young people themselves, so residents can make an informed choice, ask questions and most importantly, access up-to-date and trusted information about their safety, how they work and how they are tested, from health professionals such as the NHS, our school nurses and midwives.
“We know we are more at risk of diseases at certain points in our life – when pregnant, undergoing treatment for health reasons, heading to university, travelling abroad or as we get older. For this reason, it is important to check you and your loved ones are fully vaccinated to help protect from illness, disease or viruses – please check your child’s red book or ask your GP if you are unsure.”
If parents have any questions regarding childhood and pregnancy vaccinations after reading the bookmark, they are advised to head to the NHS website www.nhs.uk/vaccinations or speak to a trusted health professional for the latest advice and guidance.
