Immunisations
The South West Vaccination and Screening Team (VaST) are responsible for commissioning the national vaccination and immunisation services to achieve the standards set out under the section 7A agreement.
Following the recent Secretary of State reform announcement on ambitions for a new approach to vaccination, NHS England are developing an integrated vaccination and immunisation strategy that builds on the learning from COVID-19 and the foundations of other immunisation programmes. Working in partnership with all providers, local authorities, voluntary and community sector leaders and communities themselves, NHS England have designed a future model that will maximise uptake, reduce unwarranted variation and help people protect themselves and their families.
Immunisation Clinical Advice & Response Service (ICARS)
The aim of the South West Immunisation Clinical Advice Response Service (ICARS) is to provide public health guidance to clinicians administering all vaccines commissioned under Section 7a or Covid-19 programmes, and to respond to clinical incidents as they arise in these programmes. Please contact ICARS by email at england.swicars@nhs.net. More information can be found here.
Immunisation programmes
Childhood Immunisation Programmes
Childhood Immunisation Best practice guide (content to follow)
Hexavalent (6-in-1)
Hepatitis B
- (content to follow)
Men B
MMR
- Canto Timing Matters Video
- UK Measles and Rubella elimination strategy (MRES) 2019
- MMR: Use of combined vaccine instead of single vaccines
Urgent Measles Testing: Oral Fluid Kit testing instructions
- www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-urgent-testing-forms-and-instructions
These instructions are also available to download, translated into the following languages: Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Hindi, Pashto, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Yiddish, Yoruba - MMR for all: general leaflet – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Measles: protect yourself, protect others – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
PCV, Hib & Men C
- (content to follow)
Rotavirus
Useful Information
- Childhood vaccines: Parental attitudes survey 2022 findings
- A guide to immunisation at one year of age leaflet
- Routine immunisations at one year – video
- Pre-school immunisation (2-5 years old) guide and video
- Routine Immunisation video – for children aged 3 years plus – Health Publications
- Routine Imms from 0-5 videos aimed at parents and carers
- What to expect after vaccinations – Information about the common side effects of vaccinations that might occur in babies and young children up to 5 years of age.
Adult Vaccination Programmes
NHS England Adult immunisations toolkit
HPV MSM
- (content to follow)
Pertussis in Pregnant Women
- (content to follow)
PPV
- Pneumococcal vaccination guidance for health professionals
- The Green book of immunisation: chapter 25 – pneumococcal (publishing.service.gov.uk)
- Annexe A: priority groups for pneumococcal polysaccharide 23-valent vaccine (PPV23, Pneumovax®23) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Pneumonia – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- NHSE elfh Hub (e-lfh.org.uk)
- Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV) coverage report, England, April 2020 to March 2021 (publishing.service.gov.uk)
- Pneumovax 23 solution for injection in pre-filled syringe – Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) – (emc) (medicines.org.uk)
- Pneumococcal-Vaccine-23-Valent-Pneumovax-II-Oct-14.pdf (england.nhs.uk)
- Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine: change to the supply route from June 2021 letter – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Shingles
- The Green Book Shingles chapter
- Shingles: guidance and vaccination programme
- Shingles vaccination: guidance for healthcare practitioners
- Shingles vaccination checklist
- Introduction of Shingrix vaccine for the whole programme and expansion of eligible cohorts
- Shingles vaccination eligibility calculator – from September 2023
- NHS UK Shingles page
- “Vaccine preventable diseases – shingles” on E-learning for Health
School Aged Vaccination Programmes
HPV
- HPV vaccine overview – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- HPV vaccine side effects – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- HPV vaccine safety – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- How is the HPV vaccine given? – NHS – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Who should have the HPV vaccine? – NHS – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- HPV vaccination guidance for healthcare practitioners’ Comprehensive guidance on HPV vaccination programmes (v6)
- HPV universal vaccination: leaflet – A guide to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme, which became universal in September 2019
Meningococcal ACWY & Td/IPV
- 3-in-1 teenage booster overview – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- 3-in-1 teenage booster side effects – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- 3-in-1 teenage booster FAQs – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- MenACWY vaccine – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Immunisations for young people leaflet-Explains the HPV, Td/IPV and MenACWY vaccinations given to young people in school years 7 to 13
- Meningococcal ACWY vaccination programme Information for healthcare practitioners
Relevant Chapters from the Greenbook for the adolescent immunisations programme
- Meningococcal ACWY vaccination programme information for healthcare practitioners
- Diphtheria: the green book, chapter 15 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Green Book HPV chapter 18a (publishing.service.gov.uk)
- Meningococcal: the green book, chapter 22 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Polio: the green book, chapter 26 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Tetanus: the green book, chapter 30 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Relevant chapter from the Greenbook for the school-based influenza programme
SAI Pathways
- BNSSG School Aged Immunisation Pathway 2023-24
- BSW School Aged Immunisation Pathway 2023-24
- Cornwall & Isles of Scilly School Aged Immunisation Pathway 2023-24
- Devon School Aged Immunisation Pathway 2023-24
- Dorset School Aged Immunisation Pathway 2023-24
- Gloucestershire School Aged Immunisation Pathway 2023-24
- Somerset School Aged Immunisation Pathway 2023-24
Vaccine Guidance
- The Green Book
- Complete routine immunisation schedule – Including translations into 32 languages
- NHS vaccinations and when to have them
- Vaccination of individuals with uncertain or incomplete immunisation status
- Vaccine incident guidance: Responding to errors in vaccine storage, handling, and administration
- Patient Group Direction (PGD’s)
- Vaccine Summary of Product Characteristics- electronic medicines
- Vaccine Knowledge Project (University of Oxford)
- Vaccine update
- Information for immunisation practitioners and other health professionals
- NICE (NG218) Vaccine uptake in the general population
- NHS “Why vaccination is safe” page, including video
- South West Vaccination & Screening Team – FutureNHS Collaboration Platform
- UKHSA Primary care immunisation webinar series 2023
Vaccine Confidence
Ardens Guidance
- Overarching article
- Child imms recall and uptake searches
- Weekly child imms report
- CQRS searches
- QOF Vaccs and imms
- Childhood immunisations webinar
CHIS IIUT (Improving Immunisation Uptake Team)
CQRS (Calculating Quality Reporting Service)
GP Contract
QOF
Business Rules Guidance
Cold chain guidance
Promotional Resources
- Immunisations: resources for nurseries and schools – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Measles: Don’t let your child catch it – poster – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Vaccine communications toolkit for universities and other higher education settings (khub.net)
- Vaccine communications toolkit for universities and other higher education settings (khub.net)
- Publications – Health Publications
- Think measles: patient leaflet for young people- leaflet explaining the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine to young people who may have missed their routine MMR vaccinations
- Promotional material-Think measles: poster about measles in young people
- Measles Protect yourself, protect others leaflet-information about measles, and the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine
- Promotional materials-Measles outbreak resources (various languages)
- Measles : Don’t let your child catch it poster-Schools version
- Measles information posters
- Canto: How the Measles vaccine works poster A4
- Measles and MMR social media banners | Powered by Box
- Festival banners for MMR
- MMR for all leaflet available to order in English, Bengali, Polish, Romanian, Somali, Ukrainian and Yoruba
- Short videos promoting childhood immunisation and MMR catch-ups
- Immunisations: Promotional resources for GP practices, nursery settings, primary and secondary schools
- Campaign Resource Centre – This is the digital platform for government health improvement campaigns and resources, for you to use in your work to improve health outcomes in your area.
Data Sources
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage estimates in England: 2021 to 2022 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Meningococcal ACWY immunisation programme: vaccine coverage estimates – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- School leaver booster (Td/IPV): vaccine coverage estimates – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Cover of vaccination evaluated rapidly (COVER) programme 2022 to 2023: quarterly data – UK quarterly data and commentary on coverage achieved by the UK childhood immunisation programme.
- Cover of vaccination evaluated rapidly (COVER) programme: annual data -England annual data on coverage achieved by the childhood immunisation programme
Outbreak Management Guidance
If you require further advice, please use the contact details below.
UKHSA South West Centre Health Protection Team
2 Rivergate
Temple Quay
Bristol
BS1 6EH
Phone: 0300 303 8162 option 1 then option 2
Out of hours for health professionals only: please phone 0300 303 8162 option 2
UKHSA South West Centre Health Protection Team
Follaton House
Plymouth Road
Totnes
TQ9 5NE
Phone: 0300 303 8162 option 1 then option 1
Out of hours for health professionals only: 0300 303 8162 (option 1)