Somerset children who have not received their routine childhood vaccinations by the recommended age are to benefit from a pilot which will support families facing barriers to accessing healthcare.  

The Health Visitor team in Somerset is testing a new way to help some families get routine childhood vaccinations, by offering jabs during health visiting appointments. The scheme is aimed at families who might otherwise miss out and isn’t designed to replace the usual route to vaccination via your local GPs. 

Uptake of some childhood vaccinations in Somerset is below the rate required to provide a high level of protection. By offering vaccinations during routine health visits, the Somerset pilot aims to reduce the barriers to accessing healthcare and help close gaps in vaccination protection. 

Dr Georgina Angel, Consultant in Public Health and Screening and Immunisation Lead for NHS England South West, said: “We are pleased to be supporting the roll out of this pilot in Somerset.  

“We know that vaccination coverage in some areas isn’t as high as it needs to be to provide good protection against childhood infections, and that issues accessing healthcare, whether it be due to travel costs or other barriers, can have an impact on this.  

“It is hoped that by offering childhood vaccinations at-home during health visitor appointments, we can boost protection for children and support those who struggle to access healthcare.” 

Health visitors are specialist public health nurses and midwives who support families with children aged 0 to five through regular home visits and some clinic appointments. Throughout the 12-month pilot, health visiting teams will offer vaccinations during at-home health visits and will be provided with additional training to support parents who may have concerns about vaccinating their children. 

Jo Gill, from Somerset Council, said: “While vaccination rates in Somerset are good overall, there are patches where the numbers are too low.  

“In these patches, the numbers are below the desired targets and there is a risk that infections could spread. This pilot means we can reach children we might not have been able to reach before and provide stronger protection for our communities.”  

Eligibility will be based on locally agreed criteria, and the service will be for families who have not taken up a vaccination offer by the recommended age. Families are encouraged to access routine childhood vaccinations through their local GP surgery where possible.  

The pilot is being developed locally with health visiting services, GP practices, NHS organisations and community services and will be independently evaluated at the end of the 12-month period to inform any future roll outs of the service.  

Currently the service will be offered in partnership with two GP surgeries, but it is hoped that the Somerset programme will expand to include six surgeries by the end of the pilot.