News

NHS Western Isles is reminding S1 Nicolson Institute pupils to bring in completed vaccination consent forms on vaccination days this week.

The School Nurse team will be offering HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccinations on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 March in the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway. The vaccination is being offered to S1 pupils.

Pupils who have not yet returned their consent forms are being asked to bring the completed forms to school on the days of vaccination. You should return the consent form to your school, even if you’re not going to have the vaccine.

Evidence shows the HPV vaccine helps protect people from HPV-related cancers. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is offered to every S1 pupil in Scotland.

Getting the vaccine now protects you against future risks.

HPV is a common virus which usually produces no symptoms. This means that people may not even know they’re carrying the virus.

In most people HPV clears up quickly. But carrying HPV makes you more likely to develop certain types of cancer. It also means you can pass HPV on to others.

HPV can lead to cancers like:

• head and neck cancers
• cervical cancer
• anogenital cancers – for example, anal, penile (penis) cancer, cancer of the vagina, and cancer of the vulva

The HPV vaccine also protects you against over 90 per cent of genital wart infections.

S1 age pupils who are home schooled, attend e-Sgoil, or are not currently attending school may require an appointment out with the school. Completed consent forms  can be forwarded  to the Community Office  at the Health Centre for the attention of the school nursing  team. They will be invited to attend a school nursing clinic at the health centre.