In the UK, every child should be protected against preventable diseases and is entitled to free childhood immunisations. It is important that children are offered the chance to be vaccinated safely and effectively.
The national immunisation programme aims to give children the best protection against infectious diseases. It ensures that children are protected from infancy, through their teenage years and on to adulthood.
The high level of vaccine coverage has meant that dangerous, vaccine-preventable diseases, such as polio, are rare in the UK. However, experience shows that these diseases can come back if the number of immunised children falls - they are still around in many countries throughout the world.
The immunisation team delivers routine national childhood Immunisations to children at school in Birmingham and Solihull, and to those that live within Birmingham and Solihull, offering protection against disease.
They visit more than 600 locations across the area every year to offer immunisation services to children and young people.
These venues include mainstream and special schools, behaviour support units, independent schools, patient homes and health centre-based vaccination clinics.
The team also administers vaccinations within the community to babies identified at risk of developing:
The team works closely with the school nursing team, special school nursing team , health visitors, children in care, and midwifery service.
