This summer the NHS in the South East is asking parents and carers of children, due to start school this September, to check their children’s vaccinations are all up to date ahead of starting school.

With only a few weeks to go before children aged 4 will start school for the first time, many parents and carers will be visiting the shops to get their child’s school uniform.

A four-week campaign launched this week in cinema’s, soft play centres and Spotify podcasts across the South East to raise awareness of how important these vaccinations are for school aged children.

Vaughan Lewis, NHS England South East Medical Director said, “If your child is starting school this September, it’s important that they are up to date with all their vaccinations to protect them against a range of serious childhood diseases.”

“We know this is a busy time for families, so while you are getting everything ready for September, please make sure your child is up to date with their vaccinations. Give your child the best start to their school life and protect them today”.

“If you’re not sure if your child has had all their vaccinations so far, you can check your child’s red book, or call you GP practice to double check, and then book an appointment if needed. If you have any concerns about whether to have your child vaccinated, please chat to your GP practice.”

The 4 in 1 pre-school booster vaccine is offered to children from the age of 3 years and 4 months to boost their protection against four different serious conditions: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio. Children should also have two doses of the safe and effective MMR vaccine, with the first dose given around the child’s first birthday, and the second dose given at around three years and four months old. Both doses are needed to ensure full and lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella.​

The MMR vaccine is one of the most studied vaccines in the world, with millions of doses given every year – it is safe for your child, and will protect them, their friends and the wider community from these unpleasant but preventable diseases. ​

The MMR vaccine protects against three infections – measles, mumps and rubella. These are viral infections that can quickly spread to non-immune children and adults who are unvaccinated or have not previously been infected.

With the recent rise in measle cases across parts of the South East, this campaign also focuses on the importance of children having their MMR vaccination and what signs and symptoms to look out for.

With around 1 in 10 children unvaccinated and unprotected against MMR, and because measles is so infectious, even small drops in MMR coverage can have a big impact on population immunity and mean leaves us vulnerable to importations and outbreaks.

The campaign features in cinemas, soft play centres and Spotify podcasts over the next the next four weeks.

To find out more about how the vaccinations work, what they contain and the most common side effects see here.