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County tops national child vaccination list

Harriet Heywood
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
Getty Images Stock image of a child receiving the nose spray vaccine. They have black hair and glasses. A medical practitioner is wearing white gloves and holding down the child's left nostril while putting a thin tube against the other to spray the vaccine. Getty Images
The flu vaccine is given to most children as a quick, painless spray up the nose, with no injection

More school children in Cambridgeshire have been vaccinated against flu this winter than anywhere else in England, says the NHS.

About 78% of pupils from Reception to Year 11 were part of the flu vaccination programme in Cambridgeshire between October 2024 and January 2025.

In Peterborough, 58% of school children were vaccinated.

Sally Cartwright, director of public health at Cambridgeshire County Council, said the high uptake was "fantastic," but work was needed to reach those without vaccinations for flu or other childhood illnesses.

NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB Cali Makewell is smiling at the camera while in front of a light blue background. She has shoulder length light brown hair and silver earrings. She is wearing a white NHS lanyard and a green and white top.NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICB
"Vaccinating children against flu helps stop the spread to other people who are more vulnerable such as older relatives," Cali Makewell said

The vaccine is offered to children as flu can be "very unpleasant" and can sometimes cause serious problems, such as pneumonia, according to the NHS.

It said every winter thousands of children without known health conditions needed hospital care because of flu.

Cali Makewell, integrated services lead at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care Board (ICB) said they were "delighted" their school age vaccination rates were "the best in England".

"We wouldn't be top in the country without our dedicated teams out vaccinating children at school, and I also want to thank all the parents who filled in the consent forms to enable their children to get vaccinated as part of the schools vaccination programme," she said.

The 2025 flu vaccination programme will start in September.

Most children can have the nasal spray vaccination, but some may be offered the injected vaccine if they have certain allergies or health conditions.

Ms Cartwright said the vaccination rates for children in Cambridgeshire were "testament" to local and public healthcare teams as well as schools and families.

"Of course, there is still work needed to reach those children who have not yet been vaccinated against flu, as well as other childhood illnesses like measles, rubella, tetanus and meningitis," she said.

"Immunisation is the simplest and most effective way of protecting our whole community, and for that reason I would strongly urge parents in Cambridgeshire to keep up the great work and continue vaccinating their children against flu when invited by their school or GP surgery."

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