Things in the Illingworth Library - September 2023

Things in the news

Updates on vaccinations 

Where did the summer go? As September brings a return to school or a new adventure at college or university, vaccinations are featuring heavily in the news.

Around 1 in 8 new students have missed their meningitis vaccination, warns the UK Health Security Agency.

All first-year students starting college or university this September and returning students who are not up to date with all their childhood and adolescent vaccinations are at increased risk of serious diseases such as meningitis, septicaemia and measles as they mix with large numbers of other students. 'Freshers' Flu' is not just an urban myth. 

NHS England announces a September roll-out for flu vaccines for children.

From September, children in England will be targeted to receive their flu vaccine to prevent them from getting seriously ill from flu and to break the chain of transmission of the virus to the wider population. School aged children will be able to get the flu vaccine at school or at community clinics, children aged two and three years will be able to get an appointment with their GP practice. Further details are in the guidelines.

The Children's Commissioner and school attendance

Shocking figures from Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner, on school attendance: 'Last year, the school absence rate stood at 7.5%, compared to 4.7% pre-pandemic. An increasing number of children have started to regularly miss school. A child is known as “persistently absent” when they miss 10% or more of possible sessions in school. In 2022/23, nearly a quarter (22.3%) of all children were persistently absent. Absence levels have remained stuck at unprecedented highs.'

From the King's Fund - AI could help with health literacy

Amid all the scare stories and hype around AI, the King’s Fund offers a note of optimism, suggesting that AI may be a useful tool for making health information accessible to all. As up to 61 per cent of adults have been found to have low health literacy levels, this is a real challenge. This post also gives a great insight into how AI works.

Things to do in September

September is a busy month in Sheffield, with Art in the Gardens at the Sheffield Botanical Gardens Saturday 2 – Sunday 3 September and the Sheffield Festival of Walking Friday 8 – Sunday 17 September. 

The festival of walking coincides with Sheffield Heritage Open Days, also from the 8th - 17th, which offer a chance to visit historic sites you may not have access to for the rest of the year. If you're free on Friday 8th September at 10.30, then I strongly recommend the behind the scenes tour of Sheffield Town Hall, which was Sheffield's tallest building for nearly 70 years, until the Arts Tower at the University of Sheffield came along in 1965 and spoiled the party.

It's a Sheffield Thing

Our monthly feature highlighting independent businesses

For well-organised cooks who plan ahead (and me, in a good year), September is the start of the festive cooking season, when thoughts turn to getting a head start on fruit cake and steamed puddings. My favourite source of dried fruit and cooking ingredients is the zero waste shop 'The Bare Alternative' on Abbeydale Road in Sheffield. Zero waste shopping reduces the amount of plastic in a weekly shop and allows you to buy the exact quantities of dried goods that you need. They also stock all sorts of alternatives to everyday products, including plastic-free chewing gum because yes, most chewing gum contains plastic. 

Things in the Library - January

  Internet Safety & Mental Health

In partnership with Samaritans,  HEE's eLearning for Healthcare have developed a new elearning resource aimed at assisting people who provide support around suicide and self-harm to have vital conversations about online safety. The internet plays a big part in many people’s lives and can often be an important source of support and information. However, some online activity can be harmful and act to exacerbate thoughts and behaviours around suicide or self-harm. It is important that the role of the internet is not overlooked when supporting a person experiencing feelings around these issues.

Group A Strep

Analysis by UKHSA suggests a nasal spray vaccine that offers protection to children against flu may also help reduce the rate of group A strep infections. Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, Consultant Epidemiologist for Immunisation and Countermeasures at UKHSA, said:

"Our findings suggest that the nasal spray vaccine programme, which offers very good protection against flu, may also help contribute to reductions in the rates of GAS infections among children. Children who catch influenza are at greater risk from subsequent infections, including group A strep, so these findings provide yet more reasons for parents of eligible children to bring them forward for the flu vaccine."

Newborn Genomes Programme

100,000 newborns will have their complete DNA sequenced, screening for arounf 200 treatable disorders through the Newborn Genome Programme, the BBC reports. It is thought that this will save many families years of tests and uncertainty searching for a diagnosis for their child. The programme is a collaboration between the NHS and Genomics England.

Cost of Living Crisis

The President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Camilla Kingdon, has given an interview to the BMJ in which she discusses how social deprivation in the UK is increasingly affecting children’s health, citing housing and nutrition, specifically the UK's high asthma rates and high use of food banks as problems that are increasingly discussed with families. She calls for policy changes and interventions to improve child health, including expanding free school meals.

Health Literacy

Health literacy is about a person's ability to understand and use information to make decisions about their health. You can use this map to see health literacy data across the country. 

Things to do in Sheffield in January

It's a quiet month, but if you fancy leaving the house, here's a couple of places to go:

Sheffield Heritage Fair

On 28th-29th Janurary, Millennium Gallery will be celebrating the history of Sheffield by showcasing the work of heritage groups, as well as opportunity to chat with over 40 local groups. This is a free event. 

Showroom Cinema

January is the perfect cinema month. If you like foreign and independent films, the Showroom is your place. Sheffield's biggest independent cinema has a great January programme, highlights include Holy Spider, Alcarràs and Lingua Franca.

Recipe of the Month

I am absolutely not here to tell you to eat healthily in January, but this is one of my favourite lunches at

the moment and it's does contain cucumber. It's the opposite of a winter indulgence but it's so good it transcends seasons - takeout-style sesame noodles with cucumber. It takes five minutes to make, it's packs in some powerful flavours, and it's also very good looking.