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Polio
How to get vaccinated
The number of children vaccinated for polio in London is currently lower than it should be, so children aged one to nine years old in London are being offered a booster dose.
If your child is eligible for an extra dose, the NHS will contact you to ask you to book an appointment for the vaccine.
You can also get a polio vaccine for your child at locations across North and East London, up until 23 December. You can book a slot at any of the locations listed on NHS North East London's polio booster vaccination page, which include:
Lincoln Pharmacy, 124 St Pauls Way, E3 4QA
Children aged one to nine who are up to date with their Polio vaccinations and had their pre-school booster at least 12 months ago.
Dates and times:
- Monday – Friday 9.30am – 6pm
Book an appointment now.
East London Vaccination Centre, Beaumont House, Ground Floor, Mile End Hospital, Bancroft Road, E1 4DG
Children aged three years and four months – nine years old. Please note, they must have had their initial three primary polio doses (usually given at two months, three months and four months old).
Dates and times:
Thursday – Saturday, 11.30am – 6.30pm
Book an appointment at East London Vaccination centre now
What is polio?
Polio is a serious infection caused by a virus that spreads easily from person to person. The virus attacks the nervous system and can cause permanent paralysis of muscles.
Because of the success of the polio vaccination programme, there have been no cases of natural polio infection in the UK for over 30 years and there have been no new cases in the whole of Europe since 2003.
The polio virus found in London should not pose any risk to those who are fully vaccinated. However, there is a small chance that those who have not been fully vaccinated, or those who cannot respond well to vaccines, could be at risk of catching polio.
Vaccine information
The best way to prevent polio is to make sure you and your child are up to date with your vaccinations.
For some children, the polio booster vaccine 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.
The virus has been picked up early and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is taking action now to protect as many children as possible. Please come forward for vaccination as soon as your child is invited.
After your child has had this extra dose, they will still need to complete or catch up on the routine doses at the recommended age (or as soon as possible afterwards).
For more information on children’s routine polio vaccines, please visit our childhood immunisations page.
Further information
For more information on the polio booster campaign, please visit the Gov.uk polio webpage.
For more information on polio, including symptoms, please visit the NHS website. If you have any questions about the polio booster vaccine for children, please speak to your GP.
Information in other languages
Information in other languages can be found on the Gov.uk website.