Year eight students are being offered the free vaccine to protect them against human papillomavirus (HPV) which can cause several types of cancer and genital warts.
Our School Aged Immunisation Team is visiting schools across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) in January and February to deliver the vaccine.
HPV is a common virus spread through skin contact. The single dose vaccine, which is given to all year eight students, provides protection against HPV which can cause cancers of the cervix, mouth, anus, penis and vulva.
Young people who are home educated will be contacted by their local authority and offered their vaccination at a community clinic.
Karen Evans, Head of Specialist Services for Children and Sirona’s Integrated Immunisation Services, said: “All children aged 12-13 in our area, who are in year eight in school, are being offered the free, single dose HPV vaccine.
“HPV is a virus that increases the risk of getting some types of cancer later in life such as cervical cancer, some mouth and throat cancers, and some cancers of the anus and male and female genital areas. That’s why it’s so important to get vaccinated.
“The vaccine is given as one quick injection into the upper arm. The HPV vaccine helps protect your child against nine strains of the HPV virus, reducing the risk of your child getting HPV related cancers in the future.”
The HPV vaccination programme is one of the most successful in the world and has dramatically lowered the rates of cervical cancer and harmful infections in both women and men – preventing many cancers and saving lives.
Parents and carers of year eight students are asked to fill in a vaccine consent form which will be emailed to them by their child’s school. The form is also available here.
If you are unable to complete the form online, please call the team who can help you over the phone. Students who miss their vaccination in school can contact the team to arrange an appointment at sirona.sch-imms@nhs.net or by calling 0300 124 5515.
Sirona’s School Aged Immunisation Service delivers the national school-age immunisations programmes for childhood flu, HPV, meningococcal ACWY, and the diphtheria, tetanus, and polio booster (Td/IPV) across BNSSG.
