Children in Cornwall are to be given routine immunisations at school for the first time, in a bid to increase uptake.

NHS England says it will begin visiting primary schools from mid October to give the seasonal flu vaccine to children in Years 1, 2 and 3.

A pilot scheme for the HPV (preventing cervical cancer), meningitis, and tetanus, diphtheria and polio teenage booster vaccinations will be run at four secondary schools, including Liskeard, in October, before this programme is rolled out across Cornwall in early 2017.

Cornwall is one of only two areas in England where immunisations for school-aged children had until now been left up to GPs.

But uptake has been low – NHS England says that only a third of Year 1 and a quarter of Year 2 children received the flu vaccine last year.