Vaccinations and Immunisations
Vaccinations and Immunisations
You will be aware of the recent government announcement regarding the national rollout of a Covid-19 vaccination programme for young people aged 12 and over (as of 22 Sept 2021). Schools have been asked to provide a site for this vaccination programme and guidance was issued nationally by the DfE to schools on Wednesday.
Our local vaccination team have contacted us, requesting we provide a facility for vaccinations in school to coincide with the routine flu vaccinations.
Further details regarding consent will be sent out nearer the time. Consent will be arranged between you the parent and the school vaccination team.
Please find some national guidance below for your information.
COVID-19 Vaccination - Resources for Children and Young People - Gov.uk
Like all school-based vaccination programmes, the vaccines will be administered by healthcare staff, following the usual approach to school-based immunisation.
The School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) will be the primary provider of the vaccination programme for healthy 12+ year olds and will be legally responsible for the delivery of the vaccine.
The SAIS provider will be contractually responsible for the service, as they are for other school vaccination programmes.
The vaccines will be administered by healthcare staff with appropriate qualifications, who work to nationally agreed standards. Vaccines are offered in schools to ensure easy access for all children.
The programme will be delivered by an NHS commissioned SAIS team, which may include nurses, healthcare support workers, administrative staff, and other associated professionals who specialise in the delivery of school age vaccinations.
The team will administer the vaccination according to nationally agreed standards. Staff are appropriately qualified, trained (including in safeguarding) and experienced in vaccinating children and young people. Staff administering the vaccine will be wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.
Whilst schools may host immunisation services, they are not responsible for securing parental or child consent, for assessing Gillick competence or mediating between parents/carers and children who may disagree about whether or not to consent. This is the role of registered nurses in the SAIS, who have extensive experience and the expertise to handle these issues and are professionally accountable for their decisions. Legal accountability for offering COVID-19 vaccines to children and young people sits with the SAIS and not with the school.
Letter to Secondary School Parents
Immunisation Docs
