Young people across Manchester are able to keep up to date with their immunisations at special summer clinics taking place at Manchester City Football club’s Etihad Stadium.

When schools closed during the Covid-19 lockdown, the usual immunisation programme that takes place during the term in schools also had to stop. Manchester Local Care Organisation’s NHS School Health Service has worked to arrange catch up sessions this summer.

The sessions are being held at The Etihad Stadium with the kind support of Manchester City who have made their facilities available through the summer holidays. Up to 6,000 year eight and nine children are expected to come for their immunisations, invited through a direct letter to parents with different schools invited each week.

The sessions will help ensure that children in the city don’t miss out on their vital protection which includes the booster HPV (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine). This helps protect against a range of cancers and is available to both girls and boys for the first time this year.

The team includes Immunisation Nurses and School Nurses. Everyone is wearing enhanced PPE (personal protective equipment) and social distancing is in place at the sessions. Young people have to wear a mask during the appointments, which take around five minutes in total from arrival to immunisation.

Julie Bowden, acting head of service for Manchester Local Care Organisation’s School Health Service, said:

“The immunisations programme is so important to protect the health of young people and we’ve been delighted to be able to run these sessions to make sure everyone stays up to date. Around 90 young people are coming each day and the feedback has been great from parents.

“We are taking all the precautions you’d expect to keep everyone safe with strict distancing and PPE use. We were looking for a venue because many of our community clinics are in use to help support services in the pandemic. Manchester City offered us use of the stadium and we’re so grateful to them, it’s been fantastic. If you get an invite letter, just call us to book your slot.”

Manchester Local Care Organisation is the NHS and Local Authority partnership organisation that provides community healthcare and adult social care services in the city, including School Health.