An important message about polio vaccination for your child

 

You may have seen reports on the news recently about polio virus being detected in London sewage. This means that it is possible that there has been some spread of the virus between people in the London area. Polio is rare but can be very serious for unvaccinated people, so it is important to make sure everyone is protected. The best way to prevent polio is to make sure your child is up to date with their vaccinations. Polio vaccination is offered as part of the NHS routine childhood vaccination schedule.

 

According to our records, your child has not had some or all of the routine childhood vaccinations (including the ones that protect from polio). Given the new information that has come to light about polio virus being found in London sewage, we felt it was important for us to offer you another opportunity to have this safe and effective vaccination for your child.

 

How to arrange a vaccination

 

Please phone your GP practice to book an appointment on 020 8765 8525. If you have any questions about the vaccine, then a member of our team will be happy to speak to you.

 

Whilst polio can be a very serious disease, vaccination has been used very successfully for decades to prevent its spread in the UK and around the world. You can find more information about polio and the vaccination programme on the next page.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Dr Marilyn Graham

 

and

Mr Simon Hailstone MPH FFPH FRSPH

Consultant in Public Health
NHS England Primary Care & Public Health Commissioning (London Region)

 

More information about Polio Vaccination

 

Polio vaccine is part of the NHS routine childhood vaccination schedule. It is delivered as part of combination vaccines which protect against other serious diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), haemophilus influenzae type b and hepatitis B.

 

It is given to babies and children when they are:

 

• 8, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6 in 1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB)
• 3 years and 4 months old as part of the 4 in 1 pre school booster (DTaP/IPV)
• 14 years old as part of the 3 in 1 teenage booster (Td/IPV)

 

Children need to have all these vaccinations to be fully vaccinated against polio.

 

If you or your children have missed out for any reason, anyone can have polio vaccination for free on the NHS at any age.

 

You should get vaccinated even if you've had polio before as the vaccine protects against different types of polio.

 

You can read more about polio here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polio/

 

You can read more about the NHS routine childhood vaccination schedule here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/nhs-vaccinations-and-when-to-have-them/

 

NHS leaflets:

 

1. Immunisations between 12 and 13 months of age
   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immunisations-between-12-and-13-months-of-age
    
2. Pre-school vaccinations a guide to vaccinations from 2 to 5 years
   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-school-vaccinations-a-guide-to-vaccinations-from-2-to-5-years
    
3. Immunisations for young people
   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immunisations-for-young-people

 

Published: Aug 11, 2022