Taking up routine vaccines and attending screening appointments, when invited, is an important way to prevent ill health.
Screening
Screening is a way of finding out if people have a higher chance of having a health problem, so that early treatment can be offered, or information given to help them make informed decisions. Attending routine screening appointments, when invited, is an important way to prevent ill health.
Finding cancer at an early stage really helps to save lives and, in some cases, can prevent cancer developing at all.
Visit the NHS website for help in deciding which tests are right for you.
Vaccines
Vaccines will help to protect you from infections and developing diseases. So, it is important that you, your family and friends have all the vaccines that are offered to you throughout your life, from baby to pensioner.
Find out about the ages when routine vaccinations are due and which other vaccines may be available for you.
You may be offered vaccines linked to your working environment or any health conditions you may have – it is important to take these up to help protect you and others. If you have any questions about which vaccines you may need, please visit the NHS vaccines web pages or speak to a health professional. It is important to get facts from trusted sites such as the NHS to ensure you are getting the most up to date information which is based on scientific evidence.
Check with your GP to ensure you, and your family are up to date with all of your vaccines and have had the right number of doses. For example, 2 doses of MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine are recommended for either adults or children. Having 2 doses of the vaccine will provide life-long protection. The MMR is especially important for those that travel abroad or mix with large groups of people such as at festivals or university, as this is where the infection can occur.
It's important to make sure you and your family have the COVID -19 vaccine. It will prevent you becoming seriously unwell. If you haven't had any of your COVID-19 vaccines yet, you can book through the NHS website or tel: 119. If you have difficulties communicating or hearing, or are a British Sign Language (BSL) user you can use textphone 18001 119 or the NHS BSL interpreter service.