Agenda item

To receive a report on the delivery and take up of immunisation programmes in Blackpool.

Mr M Samangaya, Screening and Immunisation Manager for NHS England, Lancashire Area Team, presented a report to the Committee on the delivery and take up of immunisation programmes in Blackpool.

Members were informed that immunisation was an extremely safe and cost-effective public health intervention. It reduced the human suffering and loss of life previously associated with vaccine preventable disease, reduced levels of post-infection disability and long term ill health and had a positive impact on the financial burden that would otherwise fall on families, health and social care services.

Mr Samangaya explained that Immunisation programmes in England had traditionally been delivered via primary care in GP practices. Some of the targeted immunisation like BCG and Hepatitis B were also delivered in acute setting or community clinics by specialist teams.  The national immunisation programmes were well planned, well-resourced and uptake levels were high, although in some areas uptake was low and did not achieve the rates required for robust herd immunity.

The Committee was informed of a number of new immunisation programmes for 2013/2014. Amongst those was Shingles for people aged 70 and 79 and it was confirmed that this was available across all GP’s in Blackpool.

The statistics reported that immunisation uptake figures across Blackpool had been good and above the national average although there were still pockets of un-immunised children in the area. Following the national measles outbreak last year, a specialist immunisation team undertook some work to target the hard to reach communities and identify children with outstanding immunisations.

It was reported that immunisation uptake figures remained poor for the following programmes; Age 2 1st MMR, Age 5 2nd MMR and the preschool booster which were recorded below 90%. This highlighted that there was a cohort of children starting primary school with incomplete immunisation, which made them susceptible to vaccine preventable diseases. The majority of the childhood immunisation programmes were delivered in primary care and uptake could be dependent on the flexibility of GP practices with their immunisations clinics. The practices that did not have enough clinic slots for immunisations meant there was a long list of children still waiting for appointments. However, it was reported that there had been issues with data recording in some areas, where details of the children immunised in primary care was not being fed back to the Child Health Information System (CHIs), causing under reporting and inaccurate uptake figures.

Mr Samangoya went on to outline future plans for the service as follows:

•          To continue to engage with CCGs, local authorities and providers via the three immunisation sub-groups in order to ensure improvement of immunisation uptake figures.

•          The practice visits by the Screening and Immunisation Co-ordinators commenced in August 2014 and were targeting poor performing practices, supporting them with relevant issues on performance and how to improve immunisation uptake.

•          The Screening and Immunisation Co-ordinators had been engaging with Practice Nurse Forums and would continue to work closely and support forums.

•          The Screening and Immunisation Team was monitoring the immunisation waiting list via the Child Health Teams who schedule the immunisation clinics. The practices with long waiting lists would be contacted by the Screening and Immunisation Co-ordinators.

In summary, Mr Samangaya concluded his report by explaining that the childhood immunisation uptake figures were generally good across Blackpool and Lancashire.

However, there had been on-going reporting and data issues in some parts of Lancashire which was currently being addressed via the 0-5 and targeted immunisation sub-group working with GP practices, CCGs and child health teams.

It was acknowledged that with some of the programme, the recommended 95% uptake target was not being met and therefore there were pockets of unvaccinated children susceptible to vaccine preventable diseases.

The Committee discussed the situation where take up rates were below 90% and asked questions as to what could be done to further improve the situation. It was acknowledged that the MMR immunisation scare that took place some years ago may still be a minor contributory factor, although assurances were given that the MMR vaccine was now perfectly safe. The Committee suggested that more could be done around publicity and Mr Samangaya agreed to look into doing more to provide posters that could be displayed in children’s nurseries and to investigate possible commissioning arrangements to undertake vaccinations in children’s centres.

The Committee also discussed the alternatives to injections, for children and adults who were needlephobic. Mr Samangoya advised that nasal applications were available to all GP’s for children’s flu and that Rotovirus was available as an oral drop. He suggested that GP surgeries would be able to advise in relation to certain adult cases.

The Committee agreed to note the content of the report.

Background papers: None.