Immunisation Horizon Scanning Volume 4 Issue 8

Five infant deaths signal serious UK whooping cough outbreak

Source: The Guardian Online

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Date of publication: July 2012

Publication Type: News Item

In a nutshell:

Health experts are warning of a major outbreak of whooping cough: five infants have died so far this year, prompting doctors to consider a new round of vaccinations. The Health Protection Agency said on Friday it was very concerned by figures which show 2,466 confirmed cases between January and June, six times the comparable figure for the previous big outbreak in 2008.
Length of publication: 1 page news item

Whooping cough vaccine ‘for nurses’

Source: Nursing Times Online

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Date of publication: July 2012

Publication Type: News Item

In a nutshell: It has been recommended that healthcare professionals who work with young children should be vaccinated against whopping cough.

Length of publication: 1 page news item

Some important information: Please contact your local NHS health library to request this article follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Meningitis booster jabs needed, DH advisers say

Source: GP Online

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Date of publication: August 2012

Publication Type: News Item

In a nutshell: Meningitis booster vaccines for adolescents should be introduced ‘as soon as practicable’ to counter falling immunity after the end of an under-25 catch-up programme, DH advisers have said.
Length of publication: 1 page news item

Flu vaccine to be given to all UK children

Source: The Guardian Online

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Date of publication: July 2012

Publication Type: News Item

In a nutshell:

All children are to be given the flu vaccination after experts said it could save up to 2,000 lives a year. The scheme, which is expected to be rolled out in 2014, will see all children aged two to 17 given the vaccination through a nasal spray

Length of publication: 1 page news item

Parents could be asked to administer flu vaccine to their children

Source: The Guardian Online

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Date of publication: July 2012

Publication Type: News Item

In a nutshell:Expansion of influenza vaccination to all children aged two to 17 would require more than 1,000 extra school nurses. The NHS must find more than 1,000 extra school nurses to give the flu vaccine to healthy children under plans announced on Wednesday to expand the vaccination programme to all children aged two to 17. Millions more people will be offered the vaccine, a nasal spray called Fluenz, under the scheme that is expected to run from 2014, the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, said. Options being considered to administer it include allowing parents to vaccinate their own children.

Length of publication: 1 page news item

Shingles vaccination programme could be launched in 2013

Source: GP Online

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Date of publication: July 2012

Publication Type: News Item

In a nutshell: Shingles vaccination could be offered to all 4.5m people in the UK aged 70-79 from next year, government advisors have said.
Length of publication: 1 page news item

Opportunistic MMR vaccination for unimmunized children at the time of routine teenage booster vaccination in secondary schools: implications for policy

Source: Epidemiology and Infection, 2012, 140 (9) p. 1612-1616

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Date of publication: September 2012

Publication Type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: With the aim of minimizing adverse health outcomes and reducing the risk of outbreaks, we offered one dose of MMR vaccine to children known to be incompletely immunized at the time of teenage booster vaccination in secondary schools in Swindon in 2011. The Child Health Department database was queried to identify Year 10 children who had had zero or one dose of MMR vaccine previously. Of the 316 children offered vaccination, 60 received a first dose and 87 received a second dose of MMR vaccine. Fourteen children had two documented doses in the past and two had contraindications to the vaccine. Overall uptake of two doses of MMR vaccine increased from 86·3% to 90·6%. The valuable uptake achieved demonstrates that an opportunistic offer of MMR vaccine for unimmunized children at schools is feasible and beneficial. MMR vaccine should be offered routinely to unimmunized children at the time of school vaccination programmes, especially in areas with sub-optimal coverage.

Length of publication: 5 page article

Some important information: Please contact your local NHS health library to request this article follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Seasonal influenza vaccination knowledge, risk perception, health benefits and vaccination behaviours of nurses

Source: Epidemiology and Infection, 2012. 140 (9) p. 1569-1577

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Date of publication: September 2012

Publication Type: Journal Article

In a nutshell: The relationship between knowledge, risk perceptions, health belief towards seasonal influenza and vaccination and the vaccination behaviours of nurses was explored. Qualified nurses attending continuing professional education courses at a large London university between 18 April and 18 October 2010 were surveyed (522/672; response rate 77·7%). Of these, 82·6% worked in hospitals; 37·0% reported receiving seasonal influenza vaccination in the previous season and 44·9% reported never being vaccinated during the last 5 years. All respondents were categorized using two-step cluster analyses into never, occasionally, and continuously vaccinated groups. Nurses vaccinated the season before had higher scores of knowledge and risk perception compared to the unvaccinated (P<0·001). Nurses never vaccinated had the lowest scores of knowledge and risk perception compared to other groups (P<0·001). Nurses’ seasonal influenza vaccination behaviours are complex. Knowledge and risk perception predict uptake of vaccination in nurses

Length of publication: 8 page article

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