The majority of children in Thames Valley receive vaccinations at the correct age. However, we strongly encourage parents to check their ‘red books‘(personal child health record), to make sure their child’s vaccinations are up to date. If not, they can contact their GP to make an appointment. Parents can be confident that the free vaccines offered are safe. Immunisations help prevent serious illnesses and even death.

The Thames Valley Improving Immunisation Uptake (IIU) team was launched in July 2018 to reduce variation of immunisation uptake in children aged 0-5 years, across the Thames Valley. The project is funded by NHS England and managed by SCW Child Health Information Services (SCW CHIS).

The IIU team have been working with 214 GP surgeries, other health professionals and parents to increase uptake of childhood immunisations. Another aspect of the service is to promote child immunisations at GP, practice nurse and health visitor training events.

The project has included a focus on under-served communities, who have not had their children immunised and increasing uptake across areas with particularly low immunisation coverage.

The team are offering GP surgeries direct clinical support to ensure they have systems in place to deliver an efficient and effective immunisation programme that is accessible to parents. There are many factors that can make a difference to children being vaccinated such as:

• parents receiving timely and accurate invitation letters
• being able to promptly access convenient appointments
• ensuring families have access to reputable sources of information, so that they can make an informed choice about getting their child vaccinated.

The results of the project so far have been very encouraging with a significant reduction in variation of immunisation uptake across the Thames Valley. At the start of the project, GP practice uptake was between 45% to 93% and currently it is 76% to 99.1%. This shows that variation has reduced from 48% at the outset of the project to 22%, which is fantastic news.

The Thames Valley Immunisation Uptake project, (launched last summer to help to increase uptake of immunisations among children from 0 to 5 years in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire), is calling on parents of the 0-5’s across the Thames Valley area to make sure their children have timely vaccinations to help protect their children’s health, as part of European Immunisation Week (24 – 31 April).

The Immunisation Uptake Project has been working with 214 GPs and other health professionals and parents from across the Thames Valley, to increase uptake of childhood immunisations.

The project has included a focus on underserved communities who have not had their children immunised and increasing uptake across areas with particularly low immunisation coverage.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• According to WHO (World Health Organisation) immunisation programmes are the second biggest public health initiative globally, which help reduce child deaths worldwide. In Europe, specifically there are growing concerns about an increase in the spread of measles.
• Immunisation is vital to prevent diseases and protect life. Vaccine hesitancy has been named by the WHO as one of the 10 biggest global threats to health for 2019.
• CHIS is an NHS commissioned service run by SCW’s Child Health Information Service (CHIS) that is responsible for collating data from healthcare professionals for children aged 0-19 into a single child health record. The data CHIS records is provided by midwives, health visitors, school nurses and GPs.
• More information can be found at the SCW website: https://www.scwcsu.nhs.uk/services/child-health-information-services/patient-and-health-care-professsionals-page/
• Based in the south of England, SCW’s team of 1,300 skilled professionals provide expert support for over 80 NHS and non-NHS customers – nationally, regionally and locally; making a difference for 12 million people across an area of 14,400 square miles. https://www.scwcsu.nhs.uk/

Media inquiries to Helen Ashley, Communications and Engagement Manager, SCW hashley@nhs.net