Health protection

Health protection in schools, school vaccination programmes, information and resources.

These resources may help if you're completing one of our healthy schools awards.

Overview of health protection

Health protection in schools aims to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by:

  • promoting and facilitating vaccinations
  • managing infectious diseases, including notifications 
  • keeping children away from school when needed
  • promoting personal hygiene, particularly handwashing 
  • maintaining a clean environment

Immunisation

Immunisation is a safe and effective way to protect children and adults from infections.

Without immunisation, people are at a higher risk of catching infections, becoming ill and spreading the infection to others. Some infections can cause significant harm.

The NHS routinely offer a schedule of immunisations free of charge. You can find up-to-date immunisation advice on the NHS Choices website Go to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/ (opens new window).

You should encourage parents to:

  • have their child vaccinated
  • check with their GP if their child has had all their childhood vaccincations. You can send the immunising primary school children postcard to parents and carers. 
  • organise any missed vaccination or further catch-up doses through the School Immunisation Team or via their GP practice

The School Immunisations Team can also advise on the latest national immunisation schedule and will check which immunisations a child has had. 

Each year the School Immunisation Team in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire offer immunisations to children in primary and secondary schools.

Home-schooled children and children who do not attend school should also be immunised and can also access this through the School Immunisation Team.

School vaccination programmes

There are 4 main vaccination programmes.

Schedule

The current school immunisation schedule for Bristol is:

  • Reception to year 11 (inclusive): Influenza (nasal flu vaccine)
  • Year 8: HPV dose 1
  • Year 9: MenACWY
  • Year 9: Td/IPV (Teenage booster)

The School Immunisation Team will update you on any changes to the vaccination sessions.

Nasal Flu Vaccine (Influenza)

As the main flu viruses can change each year, a new nasal spray flu vaccine Go to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/ (opens new window) is given each year.

The School Immunisation Team will also offer the nasal flu vaccine each year to all school children from Reception to year 11.

Pupils in special schools will be offered the nasal flu vaccine every year until aged 25.

The injectable flu vaccination, which is porcine free, is available for those who are unable to have the nasal flu immunisation. 

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

The HPV vaccination is offered to girls and boys aged 12 to 13 years old when they're in school Year 8.

From September 2023 only a single dose of the vaccination will be required (previously two doses were offered, the first in year 8, and the second in year 9). Those pupils that have already received a vaccine by September 2023 will not need a second.

The HPV vaccine helps protect against cancers caused by HPV, including cervical cancer, some mouth and throat cancers and some cancers of the anal and genital areas. It also helps protect against genital warts.

The HPV Inform website has information and helpful resources for young people, parents, carers and professionals. This includes the ‘EDUCATE' lesson, which is a KS3 lesson pack, designed to be delivered before the school-based HPV vaccination session begins.

Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY)

The MenACWY vaccine is part of the routine schedule and is offered to all year 9 students alongside the teenage booster vaccine.

The MenACWY vaccine helps protect against life-threatening illnesses like meningitis and sepsis. 

The Teenage Booster (Td/IPV)

The Teenage Booster vaccine is a single injection which boosts protection against tetanus, diphtheria and polio, and is also known as the 3-in-1 teenage booster.

It is routinely offered to all year 9 students alongside the MenACWY vaccine.

MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella): catch-up programme

The School Immunisation Team are also able to offer MMR vaccines to young people in year 8 and year 9 who have not completed the two dose course earlier in childhood.

Contact the School Immunisation Team to see if your child has not been fully vaccinated.

Checklist

This checklist will help you support the School Immunisation Team with the vaccination process.

Make sure you:

  • have a named contact within the school to coordinate with the School Immunisation Team
  • give the School Immunisation Team year lists, for all students getting vaccinated
  • send out the immunisation consent forms, accompanying letter and leaflets
  • schedule a convenient day and time for the School Nurse Team to come into the school
  • set up a suitable room for the immunisation sessions
  • support the student and parents to communicate with the School Immunisation Team where possible, for example if they need interpreters
  • send information to parents about catch-up immunisations sessions as requested by the School Immunisation Team
  • actively promote and raise awareness of the programmes
  • encourage parents to contact the School Immunisation Team to arrange a clinic appointment if a pupil misses a vaccine

If a pupil or staff has an infectious or communicable disease

The government guidance on health protection in schools and other childcare facilities provides information and guidance on how to prevent and respond to infectious diseases in educational settings.

It's important that school staff are aware of the need to relay information quickly to school and setting leaders if cases are reported to them.

You should include the link to this guidance on your public website so that parents and pupils can also see what steps you will take in this scenario.

The government guidance above also provides detail on when to contact the UKHSA local Health Protection team. 

If you need advice regarding an infectious disease concern within your education setting, you can contact the UKHSA South West Protection Team: 

Is my child too ill for school provides helpful advice for parents.

The Should I keep my child off school? poster can be displayed in education settings. 

Handwashing

Handwashing is one of the most important ways to control the spread of infections, especially:

  • infections that cause diarrhoea and vomiting
  • respiratory disease

Handwashing should take at least 20 seconds, using soap and warm water. Hands should be dried thoroughly.

Find more information in the NHS handwashing guidance Go to https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/ (opens new window).

You can display the handwashing guide next to school hand washing facilities.

Always wash hands:

  • after using the toilet
  • before eating or handling food
  • after handling animals

Cover all cuts and scratches with waterproof dressings.

Hand gel helps prevent the spread of some, but not all, infections (for example norovirus: a virus causing diarrhoea and vomiting) and should is best used when soap and water is not available or as an addition.

Coughing and sneezing

Coughing and sneezing spread infections. Encourage children and adults to:

  • cover their mouth and nose with a tissue
  • wash hands after using or throwing away tissues
  • not spit

The 'Caring for children with a cough' leaflet explains what parents should do when looking after a child with a cough and when to see a doctor. 

Severe weather

GOV.UK provides guidance for schools on severe weather. 

Hot or cold weather resources 

Use the following resources to help protect children and young people during periods of hot or cold weather: 

Further information and resources

School staff and governors: 

Teachers:

Parents and carers: