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Give your child the best start to school with their pre-school vaccinations

Parents and carers of children due to start school this September are being encouraged to ensure their children are up to date with their vaccinations.  

Today, (Monday 17 April) as parents and carers find out where their child has been offered a primary school place, a new NHS England South East Regional campaign has been launched, to highlight how important these vaccinations are for school aged children.   

The 4 in 1 pre-school booster vaccine is offered to children from the age of 3 years and 4 months to boost their protection against four different serious conditions: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio. 

Children should also have two doses of the safe and effective MMR vaccine, with the first dose given around the child’s first birthday, and the second dose given at around three years and four months old. Both doses are needed to ensure full and lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella.  

The MMR vaccine is one of the most studied vaccines in the world, with millions of doses given every year – it is safe for your child, and will protect them, their friends and the wider community from these unpleasant but preventable diseases.  

The MMR vaccine protects against three infections – measles, mumps and rubella. These are viral infections that can quickly spread to non-immune children and adults who are unvaccinated or have not previously been infected. 

With around 1 in 10 children unvaccinated and unprotected against MMR, and because measles is so infectious, even small drops in MMR coverage can have a big impact on population immunity and mean leaves us vulnerable to importations and outbreaks. 

Dr Tim Caroe, NHS England South East Regional Medical Director for Primary Care Transformation  said, “If your child is starting school this September, it’s really important they’re up to date with all of their childhood vaccinations to protect them against a range of unpleasant and often serious childhood diseases.  

“We know this is a really exciting time, but when you’re thinking about new uniform and school shoes, we’d really like to urge you to add getting their vaccinations to your checklist.  

“It’s never too late for your child to have their vaccinations and then you’ll feel assured that you’ll be giving them the best start to their school life.  

“If you’re not sure if your child has had all their vaccinations so far, you can check your child’s red book, or call you GP practice to double check, and then book an appointment if needed. Also if you’re unsure whether to have your child vaccinated please also chat to your GP.”  

The campaign features on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify over the next four weeks and will also be shown on digital screens in 35 play centres across the south east.  

To find out more about how the vaccinations work, what they contain and the most common side effects see here.