Parents urged to make sure children are vaccinated

The NHS has launched a campaign explaining which immunisations are available to young people

Parents are being encouraged to make sure their children are up to date on their vaccinations.

Kernow Health CIC, responsible for delivering school-age immunisations for the NHS, has launched a campaign for half term that explains which immunisations are available to young people.

The organisation offers the nasal flu vaccine, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for boys and girls, the tetanus/diphtheria/polio vaccine, meningitis ACWY and catch-up vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella.

Michele Boyce, a clinical manager for the Cornwall and Devon School Age Immunisation Service, said: "It's never too late to have any vaccine if you have missed any of them."

She said: "We're asking parents to contact us if they have any questions regarding the vaccinations available for their children, to give consent to vaccinate or just to check if their child has missed any."

She explained recent outbreaks of flu had affected children and the best protection against the virus was vaccination.

Ms Boyce said the NHS was also encouraging immunisation against HPV for both boys and girls, since several cancers in boys and men had been linked to the virus.

She also reminded young people in further education to check they had been vaccinated for meningitis because "it is a serious and contagious illness which can have devastating consequences".