Parents and carers urged to check their children’s vaccination status as children under 10 are offered additional polio vaccination
In the coming weeks, children aged one to nine years old in Camden and across London will be offered an additional polio vaccination to protect them from the virus.
The NHS will soon be in touch if your child is within this age group to tell you how and when they will be able to get their polio booster.
In the meantime, parents and carers are urged to check their child’s Red Book to make sure they are up to date with their polio and all other childhood vaccinations.
The London-wide polio booster programme, led by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England, is being launched in the coming weeks to protect children from polio after samples of the virus were detected in a water sewage site in North London that serve eight boroughs – including Camden.
Currently the overall risk to the public is low and there have been no confirmed cases of poliovirus. However, the sewage samples suggest that community transmission is taking place so it is more important than ever that children are up to date with their polio vaccinations which will help to protect them and the wider community from the virus and will help to prevent the virus spreading.
We want to reassure parents and carers that we are committed to protecting children in Camden and will be working closely with health partners to support the polio vaccine booster programme.
If you are a parent or carer of a child aged one to nine years old, please check their polio vaccination status and book them in for a booster dose when the rollout begins in a few weeks. The vaccine is safe, effective and will help to protect your children and others across Camden and London from polio.
Although the overall risk of poliovirus to residents is extremely low, this is a concerning situation that we must take seriously. To protect children and families, locally we will work to support the UK Heath Security Agency and the NHS who will soon be offering an additional polio vaccination to all children aged between one and nine years old who are living in Camden. We urge all families to take their children to get their booster when they are contacted to ensure they can be protected against poliovirus.
I also urge parents and carers to check your child’s Red Book to make sure they are up to date with all their vaccinations including their polio vaccinations. If your child has fallen behind with their vaccinations or if you can’t find their Red Book, please contact your GP or health visitor as soon as possible.
For further information, please visit nhs.uk/conditions/polio/