Last week BBC Look North focussed on women’s health week and included a feature on our school aged immunisation team, who have the highest vaccination rate in England for HPV vaccination in girls.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common group of viruses that cause nearly every case of cervical cancer. Since the introduction of the UK’s HPV vaccination programme a decade ago, cervical cancer rates have declined by almost 90% in women, now in their 20s, who were offered the vaccination aged 12 to 13.
The team are one of only seven Trust’s in the Country to have achieved the World Health Organisation’s target contributing to NHS England’s landmark commitment to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
They achieved a huge 98.5% of eligible girls receiving the vaccination through multiple offers and engagement with girls and their families to make sure as many girls as possible are protected against cervical cancer.
Helen Mattinson is the school aged immunisation nurse lead and described some of the work they had undertaken to achieve the high uptake.
She said: ”We work closely with the schools and start making the offers early – we start going in to girls in year 8 girls and go back in during year 9 so they have at least two offers. We work closely with schools so we can talk to staff, parents and girls about the vaccination talking to them about what they want for their future self.”
Sarah James, Office Manager at Newman School in Carlisle said: “The nurses get in touch with us and we send the information out to the parents. As a parent myself having the vaccine in school is good. It’s accessible and means lots of children to have the immunisation at once, parents don’t have to take time off work and pupils are with their friends and the staff we can calm and talk to them about it.”
“We do have some pupils who don’t want to have it done in school they might be frightened of needles or want to have their parents with them. We would then work with the nurses to speak to those parents, send further literature and give them other options.”
Parent Michelle Nichols-Davies youngest child originally declined the immunisation. She said, “My youngest child has needle phobia, they were really very scared of the needle and when the nurses went into school they said no. The nurses got in contact with me and arranged to have the immunisation at the clinic with two nurses who completely reassured my child and myself. They then had a really good experience and it’s meant that they’ve been able to continue to have blood tests because of that confidence that they gave them.”
Well done to the team who have successfully achieved the best uptake in England and are contributing to the ambition of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.