NHS Lincolnshire CCG supports European Immunisation Week

NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group is supporting European Immunisation Week, which runs from tomorrow (Monday, April 26) 26 April to Friday, May 2, and aims to increase vaccination coverage by raising awareness of the importance of immunisation to parents, carers and the families of children

Vaccinations are quick, safe and extremely effective, and are an important step in protecting your child against a range of serious and potentially fatal diseases.

Once your child has been vaccinated against a disease their body can fight it more effectively. However, if children are not vaccinated they will have an increased risk of catching the illness.

There will be some children who are unavoidably unprotected because:

• They cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons

• They are too young to be vaccinated

• They cannot get to the vaccination service

• The vaccine does not work (though this is rare)

If more parents have their children vaccinated then more children in the community will be protected against an illness and this in turn lowers the chance of a disease breakout.

Dr Dave Baker, GP and South West Lincolnshire Locality Lead, NHS Lincolnshire CCG, said: “As health professionals we would encourage all parents to ensure that their children are being protected against a range of serious and potentially fatal diseases through the vaccinations offered at their local practice.

“Although overall uptake of vaccines is good, some children in the population remain unprotected and we urge parents to get them vaccinated.”

A full list of the vaccinations offered to children together with more information about the benefits to parents and their children can be found at www.nhs.uk