Immunisation Horizon Scanning Bulletin Volume 3 Issue 1

GPs face losing control of flu jabs programme

Source: BBC News

Follow this link for full-text

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication Type: News-Item

In a nutshell: GPs face losing control of managing the flu vaccine programme following supply problems in England this winter, the government’s head of immunisation says.

Length of publication: 1 page news-item

Attitudinal and demographic predictors of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine acceptance: Development and validation of an evidence-based measurement instrument

Source: Vaccine, 2010 Dec 23. [Epub ahead of print]

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: December 2010

Publication Type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: Background and objective: Parents’ attitudes toward MMR vaccine and measles, mumps and rubella infections relate to their child’s MMR status, therefore improving these attitudes is central to improving current suboptimal MMR uptake. However, no study has yet combined evidence-based, comprehensive and psychometrically validated assessment of these attitudes with reliable objective MMR status data, in order to identify through multivariate analyses the strongest attitudinal predictors of MMR uptake for interventions to target. The present study fills this lacuna by developing and testing a robust evidence-based MMR attitudes measurement instrument…  Main outcome measures: Parents’ responses to evidence-based measurement instrument comprising 20 attitude/previous behaviour items (collapsing to 5 scales) and 7 demographic items, and their children’s PCT-recorded 5th birthday status for MMR dose 1 (on-time, late or none) and MMR dose 2 (on-time or none)… Conclusions: The measurement instrument is robust on multiple validity and reliability dimensions, and is appropriate for use in research and practice as a tool for designing and evaluating interventions. Parents appear to act in line with their attitudes toward MMR vaccine, though attitudes toward measles infection bore little relation to MMR uptake. This study indicates populations and attitudes to be prioritised in MMR uptake improvement interventions.

Length of publication: Unknown

Top GP wants flu jab ban for ‘worried well’

Source: The Guardian

Follow this link for full-text

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication Type: News-Item

In a nutshell: Chair of Royal College of GPs says healthy individuals buying flu jabs from pharmacies had contributed to shortages in the NHS

Length of publication: 1 page news-item

Most pregnant women have not had flu jab, Andrew Lansley admits

Source: The Guardian

Follow this link for full-text

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication Type: News-Item

In a nutshell: Almost three-quarters of Britain’s pregnant women have still not received the flu jab this winter, according to Andrew Lansley, the health secretary.

Length of publication: 1 page news-item

Continued control of pneumococcal disease in the UK – the impact of vaccination

Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2011 Jan;60(Pt 1):1-8. Epub 2010 Oct 21.

Follow this link for abstract

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication Type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as the pneumococcus, is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed and developing world. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines were first introduced for routine use in the USA in 2000, although the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was not introduced into the UK’s routine childhood immunization programme until September 2006. After its introduction, a marked decrease in the incidence of pneumococcal disease was observed, both in the vaccinated and unvaccinated UK populations. However, pneumococci are highly diverse and serotype prevalence is dynamic. Conversely, PCV7 targets only a limited number of capsular types, which appears to confer a limited lifespan to the observed beneficial effects. Shifts in serotype distribution have been detected for both non-invasive and invasive disease reported since PCV7 introduction, both in the UK and elsewhere. The pneumococcal Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV, Synflorix; GlaxoSmithKline) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13, Prevenar 13; Pfizer) have been newly licensed. The potential coverage of the 10- and 13-valent conjugate vaccines has also altered alongside serotype shifts. Nonetheless, the mechanism of how PCV7 has influenced serotype shift is not clear-cut as the epidemiology of serotype prevalence is complex. Other factors also influence prevalence and incidence of pneumococcal carriage and disease, such as pneumococcal diversity, levels of antibiotic use and the presence of risk groups. Continued surveillance and identification of factors influencing serotype distribution are essential to allow rational vaccine design, implementation and continued effective control of pneumococcal disease.

Length of publication: Unknown

Flu in 15: a novel 15-minute education program to promote acceptance of the influenza vaccine among health care workers.

Source: Jnl of the American Medical Directors Association, 2010 Sep;11(7):523-7.

Follow this link for abstract

Date of publication: September 2010

Publication Type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE: A performance improvement project was undertaken to increase health care worker (HCW) influenza vaccination acceptance rates in the long-term care setting by using a novel 15-minute education intervention called the “Flu in 15.” As a core principle, we taught that more Americans die from complications of influenza than hepatitis B, yet there remains individual reluctance and barriers to achieve high acceptance rates of influenza vaccination among HCWs…  CONCLUSIONS: The Flu in 15 in-service promoted a better understanding of the importance of the influenza vaccine and demonstrated an associated increase in HCW acceptance of the flu vaccine. Although we cannot claim cause and effect, we noted a decrease in resident mortality in the intervention year compared with the prior year. Now that some medical centers require yearly influenza vaccines among HCWs, the education component remains relevant to provide reason behind the mandate.

Length of publication: 5 page article

Social deprivation and exposure to health promotion. A study of the distribution of health promotion resources to schools in England

Source: BMC Public Health

Follow this link for full-text

Date of publication: 2010

Publication Type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: Background: Area deprivation is a known determinant of health. It is also known that area deprivation is associated with lower impact health promotion. It is less well known, however, whether deprived areas are less responsive to health promotion, or whether they are less exposed. Using data from a national, school-based campaign to promote vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV), the relationship between area deprivation and exposure was examined. Methods: Taking advantage of a health promotion campaign to provide information to schools about HPV vaccination, a cross sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between area level, social deprivation, and take-up of (i.e., exposure to) available health promotion material. The sample was 4,750 schools across England, including government maintained and independent schools. The relationship between area deprivation and exposure was examined using bi- and multivariate logistic regression. Results: It was found that schools in the least deprived quintile had 1.32 times the odds of requesting health promotion materials than schools in the most deprived areas (p = .01). This effect was independent of the school size, the type of school, and the geographic region. Conclusion: The relationship between area deprivation and the impact of health promotion may be due, at least in part, to differential levels of exposure. The study was limited in scope, pointing to the need for more research, but also points to potentially important policy implications.

Length of publication: 6 page article

Varicella zoster virus vaccine cuts shingles among elderly

Source: GP Online

Follow this link for full-text

Date of publication: January 2011

Publication Type: News-Item

In a nutshell: Vaccinating older adults against the varicella zoster virus would greatly reduce their risk of developing shingles, a US study has shown. Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Centre in southern California found the vaccine reduced cases of the disease by 55%. The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that people in their 70s should be given a vaccine to protect against shingles, provided a licensed vaccine can be obtained at a reasonable cost.

Length of publication: 1 page news-item

Further dissemination

If you think anyone would benefit from receiving this post or from subscribing to this blog please email them the link to this blog and suggest they sign up to the blog newsletter to stay up-to-date with new content.