Campaign to encourage Coventry schools to support vaccine uptake

Primary and special needs schools in Coventry are taking part in a "unique" scheme to improve vaccine uptake in the city.

The Vaccine Superhero Initiative encourages schools to join a three-level programme designed to inspire and empower communities to champion childhood vaccination through engaging and educational activities.

It was initially started in July and already 16 local primary and SEND schools have signed up.

The ultimate aim is to increase the number of children and young people in Coventry that are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Schools receive Bronze, Silver and Gold medals based on the progress they make on the vaccine scheme.

Data shows that since 2016/17, many children in the city aged under five are not getting the vaccinations they need to stay healthy - which puts them and other children at risk of getting serious illnesses like polio, measles and meningitis.

In Coventry, the take up of standard vaccines such as the 6-in-1, pre-school boosters, and MMR fall below the 95% recommended level and lower compared to national levels.

A lack of understanding on the importance of vaccination and how to access them is believed to be one of many barriers preventing parents from getting their child vaccinated.

Lily Makurah, Consultant in Health Protection for the City Council, said: “This initiative is crucial, as we have seen a concerning rise in of vaccine preventable illnesses, across our region.

“Schools, communities, public health and NHS systems have all been working hard to address this issue.

“Schools play a particularly important role as vaccinations are provided here once children are of school age”.

Coventry City Council’s public health team will formally award Holbrooks Primary School with their Silver award and welcome new schools registering for bronze.

Nicki Kelsall, Deputy Head at Holbrooks Primary School from Holbrook Primary School, said: “At Holbrook Primary School, we recognise the importance of childhood immunisations to ensure that children have the best possible protection against dangerous diseases. By educating the children in a fun and exciting way we hope to increase the uptake of immunisations in our community and ensure that the children are fully protected to have a healthy start in life.”

Once registered onto the programme, each school will receive a welcome pack containing practical tips and tools to help children learn about the science behind vaccination biology and why it is important for communities.

The pack includes a Giant Microbe pack which are plush toys of actual microbes such as chickenpox, flu, vaccine bottle and antibodies.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.