Practitioners advised to check jabs status of new children
Childcare practitioners and teaching staff should check the immunisation status of children when they start nursery or school, according to official guidance published last week.
A report by the the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that checks on immunisation status are carried out by teams led by health visitors in conjunction with childcare or education staff and parents.
If children are found to be behind with their vaccinations, nursery or school staff should, in conjunction with health practitioners, explain to parents why immunisation is important, the report advises.
It is the first time NICE has issued guidance about immunisation.
The report says the children and young people who are most at risk of not being fully immunised include looked-after children, those with physical or learning disabilities, those from non-English speaking families and younger children from large families.
The report also recommends improving access to immunisation services for those with transport, language or communication difficulties, or those with physical or learning disabilities.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, said, 'Nurseries are a valuable source of information and advice for parents, so it is good practice for nurseries to make parents aware of the benefits of immunisation by making information leaflets available. Some will also invite health professionals in to talk to parents about immunisation.
'It is important to stress, however, that nursery staff are not health professionals and therefore cannot act as advisors in this matter.'
The guidance coincides with research published last week by the NHS Information Centre, which found that autism is as common among adults as it is among children, dispelling fears of a link between the MMR vaccine and the condition.
Further information
'Autism spectrum disorders in adults living in households throughout England' is at www.ic.nhs.uk.
