Service description
The School Aged Immunisation Service supports and delivers the School Aged Immunisation Programme across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The service provides immunisations for children and young people who are in school or home educated. Vaccinations are provided either in schools or through community clinics and in some cases, through home visits.
The service is provided and supported by a team of skilled and experienced staff. Our immunisation nurses have experience in all aspects of immunisation and vaccination. Consent for vaccination is sought and the team will assess individual children and young people and where highlighted, will offer advice and support.
The service offers the following immunisation programmes:
- Seasonal flu vaccination to protect healthy children against flu (in school years Reception – year 11)
- Seasonal flu vaccination to protect children in special schools against flu
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to protect young people against various forms of cancer (offered from year 8)
- 3-in-1 teenage booster and Meningitis ACWY vaccinations to protect young people against tetanus, diphtheria and polio and meningitis strains A, C, W and Y (offered from year 9)
- Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination for under immunised young people (offered from year 8 and by invitation only)
Our service is delivered from:
- All schools in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
- Community clinics
- Home visits only for children with an assessed health need.
The service engages with more than 480 schools, academies and educational settings in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to ensure the offer is made to all eligible children on roll. The service will revisit schools and will offer additional opportunities throughout the academic year for secondary school aged vaccinations.
Referral criteria
Consent for vaccination is sought prior to the vaccination sessions and the team will assess individual children and young people and where highlighted, will offer advice and support.
All children and young people from reception to year 11 are offered the flu vaccination programme annually. Flu viruses change every year, so flu vaccines are updated to protect against the latest strains.
All eligible young people are offered the 3-in-1 teenage booster, meningitis ACWY and the HPV, whilst in secondary school. They only need to have one dose of each of these vaccinations and our service will continue to offer this to them till they complete year 11.
Upcoming immunisation sessions
The service communicates all planned dates with schools prior to the school year where possible and asks that schools share this information with parents/carers and children and young people.
September 2026 to December 2025: Flu
The service will begin offering the nasal and injectable flu immunisations in schools from September.
Parents and carers of eligible children will be contacted directly, to complete an online consent decision form. Instructions on how to access the form will be sent directly to parents and carers via text and email.
Your child can also get a flu vaccination at a roving healthcare unit. Visit the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB website to find out more.
More information about the flu vaccine is available below or you can visit our flu vaccination information hub for parents and carers of primary school children or flu vaccination information hub for parents and carers of secondary school aged children.
If you are unable to complete the online consent decision form or have any questions, please ring us on 0300 3000 007 and the team will support you.
You can listen to our Clinical Lead talk about the vaccinations:
This information is also available in the following languages:
January to March 2027: HPV
Parents and carers of eligible children will be contacted directly, to complete an online consent decision form. Instructions on how to access the form will be sent directly to parents and carers via text and email.
You can visit our HPV vaccination information hub for more materials and resources.
March to June 2027: 3-in-1 teenage booster and Meningitis ACWY
The service will offer the 3-in-1 teenage booster and Meningitis ACWY vaccinations in secondary schools from March to June 2027. Parents and carers of eligible children will be contacted directly, to complete an online consent decision form. Instructions on how to access the form will be sent directly to parents and carers via text and email.
You can visit our 3-in-1 teenage booster and Meningitis ACWY vaccination information hub for more materials and resources.