Our Calderdale Immunisation Team are celebrating their efforts in reaching more children in schools and in the community as part of their annual flu immunisation programme.

As a result of their hard work, the team have been ranked as the highest vaccination provider this winter within the West Yorkshire Vaccination and Immunisation Collaborative (which covers Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford).

Over the past six months the team have introduced more ways to reach local school children in the community, including:

• Offering clinics away from traditional school locations, so that more parents are able to get involved in the process.
• Providing clinics outside of term-time, which is when the team are usually contracted to work. This offers families more flexibility and choice.
• Offering the flu vaccination as a needle-based injection as well as the nasal spray in schools. This has been particularly well-received by people who do not consume pork, as the nasal spray contains a pork-based product. The number of injections given this year has as a result, almost doubled.

Immunisation Team Leader, Joanne Wilson, pictured right, said: “I’m super-impressed and extremely proud of the way the team have supported fresh ideas to support wider school vaccinations. Their flexibility to work outside of term-time when they can has also shown their commitment to putting people first.

“They have fully embraced these changes, working together to make a positive impact especially on flu prevention to help keep the children of Calderdale healthy.

“The feedback they’ve received has been extremely positive, which is both encouraging and is testament to their work.”

Congratulations to the whole team: Joanne Wilson, Jayne Walton, Sam Wainwright, Liz Sunderland, Jo Greidanus, Hannah Hebda, Janet Stott and Donna Carroll.