Public Health Scotland is urging parents and carers to ensure their children receive routine vaccines offered at secondary schools, as uptake rates have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
These vaccines provide crucial protection against serious diseases and benefit not just young people but also their families and communities.
All S1 pupils in Scotland are offered the HPV vaccine, which protects against the human papillomavirus – a common virus linked to cancers such as cervical, head and neck, and certain anogenital cancers.
Since the HPV vaccination programme began in 2008, it has proven highly effective, with no cases of cervical cancer detected in women vaccinated at age 12-13, yet recent figures show a gradual decline in uptake among S1 pupils over the past decade.
In S3, pupils are offered the MenACWY vaccine to guard against meningitis and blood poisoning, along with the DTP vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and polio, completing their childhood vaccination schedule.
Worryingly, data indicates that boys are less likely to receive all three vaccines compared to girls, with disparities also noted across different ethnic and socio-economic groups.
Parents and carers are encouraged to look out for vaccination consent packs sent home from schools, discuss the importance of these vaccines with their children, and return signed forms promptly.
Vaccinations are administered at schools, making it convenient for pupils to get the protection they need.
To support this, Public Health Scotland has launched the “Chat. Sign. Protect.” campaign, offering resources like videos addressing common questions, information in multiple languages and formats, and guidance for young people not in mainstream education.
Nick Phin, Director of Public Health Science at PHS, emphasised the importance of ensuring all young people have access to these vaccines.
“Vaccination is the best defence against life-threatening diseases, and Scotland has a strong immunisation record, but there is still work to do,” he said.
Recent initiatives, including Scotland’s 5-Year Vaccination and Immunisation Framework, aim to ensure every community benefits from the life-saving protection these vaccines offer.
By making vaccination a priority, parents can help safeguard their children’s health and the wellbeing of communities across Scotland.
