Young people in Ayrshire are being urged to take up the offer of routine vaccines at school after new figures showed a decline in uptake. 

A number of vaccines are offered to young people in secondary school to provide them with long-term protection against serious diseases. 

These include the DTP vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and polio, and MenACWY, which protects against meningitis and septicaemia.

Both are offered to pupils in S3, at around 14 years of age, to complete the childhood vaccination course.

Data from Public Health Scotland shows that boys were less likely to receive the DTP and MenACWY vaccines than girls.

This is also true for the school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme, which helps to protect young people from HPV-related cancers later in life.

Consent packs consisting of a letter, consent form and leaflet are sent home with young people from school.

Consent forms will start to be issued as early as the end of November by some Health Boards with vaccination taking place between January and March next year.

A national campaign which is focused on encouraging young people to talk to their parents or carers about taking up the offer of these vaccines has also been launched.

Dr Claire Cameron from PHS said: “Being vaccinated is the best thing you can do to help protect against serious vaccine preventable diseases.

"We’re encouraging young people to chat to their parents or carers about the free vaccines offered, before signing and returning consent forms to school by the deadline.”