Where to get a polio vaccine
Extra polio vaccine dose for children in London
Children aged 1 to 9 years old in London are being offered a dose of polio vaccine.
For some children this may be an extra dose on top of their routine vaccinations. In other children it may bring them up to date with their routine vaccinations.
There are signs the virus may be spreading in London and the number of children vaccinated in London is lower than it should be. Boosting immunity in children should help protect them and reduce the risk of the virus continuing to spread.
If your child is eligible for an extra dose, the NHS will contact you to ask you to book an appointment for the vaccine.
Find your nearest Polio vaccination clinic in South East London
What is Polio?
Polio is a serious infection that's now very rare because of the vaccination programme. It's only found in a few countries and the chance of getting it in the UK is extremely low.
Polio in the UK
There have been no confirmed cases of paralysis due to polio caught in the UK since 1984.
Although some poliovirus has been found in sewage from London recently, the risk of getting it remains extremely low.
The chance of getting ill from polio is higher if you are not fully vaccinated, so it's important to make sure you, and your child, are up to date with your vaccines.
Washing your hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day also helps you avoid catching and spreading viruses.
Polio vaccination
The best way to prevent polio is to make sure you and your child are up to date with your vaccinations.
The polio vaccine is part of the NHS routine childhood vaccination schedule.
The polio vaccine is given to children at:
- 8, 12 and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine
- 3 years, 4 months old as part of the 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) pre-school booster
- 14 years old as part of the 3-in-1 (Td/IPV) teenage booster
You need all 5 of these vaccinations to be fully vaccinated against polio.
You can contact your GP surgery to check if you, or your child, are up to date with your polio vaccinations. For children and babies, you can also check their personal child health record (red book).
If you are not up to date, book an appointment with your GP surgery to get vaccinated free on the NHS.
