Teenage booster immunisation statistics Scotland
School year 2022/23

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides an annual update on teenage booster immunisation coverage rates for pupils in their third and fourth years of secondary school (S3 and S4). There are two teenage booster immunisations: the Td/IPV booster, which completes the course of childhood vaccines providing protection against tetanus, diphtheria and polio; and the MenACWY immunisation, which protects against meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) caused by four strains of meningococcal bacteria – groups A, C, W and Y.

Main points

• Among S3 pupils who were eligible for the vaccines in 2022/23, coverage of Td/IPV vaccine was 68.6% (71.6% in 2021/22), and MenACWY vaccine coverage was 68.7% (71.7% in 2021/22).
• Pupils who miss the routine teenage booster immunisation sessions in S3 are offered the vaccines in S4. In 2022/23 an additional 6% of pupils received these vaccines when they were in S4, taking immunisation rates to over 77% by the end of S4 (Td/IPV 77.3%, MenACWY 77.4%).

• Pupils in more deprived areas were less likely to receive the Td/IPV and MenACWY vaccines. By the end of S4, 66.9% of pupils from the most deprived areas were immunised for both vaccinations, compared with 88.0% and 88.1% from the least deprived areas (Td/IPV vaccine and MenACWY vaccines respectively).
• Male pupils were less likely to receive the Td/IPV and MenACWY vaccines compared to female pupils. By the end of S4, 75.7% and 75.9% of male pupils were immunised, compared to 79.0% and 79.1% of female pupils (Td/IPV vaccine and MenACWY vaccines respectively).

Background

Vaccination programmes aim to protect the individual from many serious infectious diseases and to prevent their spread within the wider population.

In Scotland, teenage booster immunisations are routinely offered to pupils in S3 at around 14 years of age. Pupils not immunised in S3 are re-offered the vaccine(s) in S4. Pupils not fully immunised as part of the routine cohort can also be offered the teenage booster immunisations in S5 and S6.

Further information for the teenage booster immunisations can be found online at NHS Inform: Td/IPV and MenACWY.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be November 2024.