Nottingham’s £240,000 boost for Covid jabs for children and adolescents

Nottingham City Council has approved a £240,000 grant to enhance vaccination rates among children and adolescents in the city.

The decision aims to address declining vaccination rates.

Funding Breakdown

The £240,000 grant will be sourced from the Public Health Grant (£180,000) and the ICB Health Inequalities Fund (£60,000). The funds will be allocated as follows:

• £220,000 for an outreach and catch-up vaccinations service, to be delivered via a contract amendment to the 0-19 Best Start in Life contract.
• £7,000 to part-fund a nursery flu vaccinations pilot within three Nottingham wards.
• £13,000, across two years, to develop and run regular vaccination communications campaigns.

Decline in vaccination uptake

Data indicates that vaccination uptake has been on a decline, particularly for MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) and Dtap (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis). The city has significantly lower uptake rates compared to the national average, falling well below the 95% World Health Organization target. This poses a serious threat to public health, as lower vaccination rates can lead to outbreaks of preventable diseases.

Program Objectives

The program aims to achieve over 95% coverage of Dtap and MMR in children under 5 and older age groups through targeted catch-up programs. These aims align with the UK Measles and Rubella elimination strategy and NICE guidelines.

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Implementation Strategy

The program will focus on areas with the highest inequalities and will include:

• Outreach clinics to support families who are unwilling or unable to engage with primary care.
• Catch-up clinics to ensure that missed vaccinations are administered.
• Centralized ‘call and recall’ systems to remind families about vaccination schedules.

Community Engagement

The program will involve long-term, sustained efforts to build trust within marginalized communities. A public health engagement lead will support this program, and a continual cycle of engagement and outreach will be implemented.

Governance and Reporting

The program will be overseen by a collaborative working group, including Primary Care colleagues, the ICB Locality team, and NHS England. A six-monthly report regarding all spend, activity, and outcomes will be presented to the Nottingham City Council Public Health Programme Board.

Conclusion

The decision by Nottingham City Council is a significant step towards improving public health by increasing vaccination rates among children and adolescents. The program is designed to be comprehensive, targeting the most vulnerable communities and involving them in the solution.