Latest news with #RCPCH
Medscape
a day ago
- Health
- Medscape
NHS Access Issues Driving Down Childhood Vaccine Uptake
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has raised concerns over difficulties parents face getting NHS care for their children, warning that "stubborn" barriers to access have contributed to declining vaccination rates in the UK. According to the college, uptake of vaccines has stalled over the past decade and is now falling in some areas. None of the routine childhood vaccinations have met the 95% coverage target since 2021. NHS Digital figures show that in 2023-2024, coverage dropped for all 14 standard childhood vaccinations, falling by between 0.1% and 1.0% compared with the previous year. In the context of the current measles outbreak, MMR1 coverage at 24 months declined to 88.9%, the lowest level since 2009-2010. Early data from 2024-2025 suggest the downward trend is continuing, the college said. Disparities in Uptake and Systemic Shortcomings The latest findings come from the RCPCH Commission on Immunisation Access, Uptake, and Equity, which was launched in response to growing concern over vaccination rates. The 12-month investigation examined quantitative and qualitative data, including national and local statistics, research, expert opinion, and the views of parents. The commission found 'significant inequalities in vaccine uptake' across population groups and geographic areas in the UK. Despite high overall confidence in vaccines, it said families were being failed by a fragmented and hard-to-navigate system. There was a 'growing disparity' in uptake, particularly among ethnic minority groups, socioeconomically disadvantaged families, and migrant communities. These groups may have lower trust in the government and healthcare system, the report noted. Practical Barriers Deter Families The report concluded that the problem lies less in vaccine hesitancy and more in the lack of access. It said many parents who wanted to vaccinate their children faced a range of barriers, including: Difficulty booking appointments. Inflexible time slots that clash with work or childcare. Inconvenient locations or limited transport options. Poor continuity of care and absence of trusted clinicians or health visitors. Inadequate reminders and difficulty accessing children's vaccine records. Limited or unclear information from professionals. Health professionals lacking knowledge or discouraging vaccination. Fear of injections or side effects, and reluctance to cause distress. Fear of being judged for raising concerns. Language barriers, digital exclusion, and lack of targeted outreach. Call for Action on Infrastructure and Access The RCPCH said improving vaccine delivery and uptake requires addressing these systemic issues. "The UK must prioritise investments in infrastructure, digital health records for children, staffing levels, and staff training," the college said. Delivery and access to vaccinations could be improved if the systemic barriers to access were addressed, particularly those that may more frequently affect underserved communities. Dr Helen Stewart, RCPCH officer for health improvement, said parents currently have no easy way to check if their child is up to date with vaccinations. In the foreword to the report, she noted that in her work in a paediatric emergency department, the most common response from parents when asked if their child was up to date with their vaccinations was: "I think so". NHS England Response Dr Julie Yates, deputy director for immunisation programmes at the UK Health Security Agency, said the report was a reminder that parents and carers have busy lives and may struggle to find time for routine appointments. She said that NHS England was already working to improve the 'front door' to vaccination, with plans for more flexible appointment booking, improved access across locations, and tailored services to meet the needs of specific communities.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Stubborn' barriers prevent parents from vaccinating their children
There are 'stubborn' barriers preventing parents from vaccinating their children, including difficulty booking appointments and a lack of GP reminders, according to a new report. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) formed a commission to look at declining vaccination rates and found that while some families are hesitant to vaccinate due to fears about the jabs, many face issues that could be resolved with more support. It comes after Lord Vallance, the science minister, said people have forgotten that diseases such as measles can kill. Uptake of vaccines in the UK has stalled over the last decade and is, in many cases, declining. None of the routine childhood vaccinations have met the target for 95% coverage since 2021, meaning youngsters are at risk of catching illnesses such as measles, meningitis and whooping cough. Key themes in the RCPCH study were that some people have difficulty booking appointments, especially ones that fit around work and childcare. Parents also reported inconvenient clinic locations and the high cost of public transport to get to appointments. There is also a lack of continuity of NHS care, with many parents seeing a different GP or clinician at each visit. The absence of health visitors was also 'especially significant' as it is often individual family circumstances that influence vaccination decisions. The report also noted a lack of reminders from GP surgeries about upcoming jabs, and a lack of digital records meaning parents and NHS staff could not easily see which jabs children had had. Parents also feared being judged for raising concerns about vaccines or having beliefs in alternative medicine, the study found. Researchers noted a growing disparity in vaccine uptake among some ethnic minority groups, socio-economically disadvantaged families and migrant communities. They face language difficulties, digital exclusion, and challenges in navigating the NHS, the study found. The report suggested that parents do not always have the information they want or need around vaccines, and that health professionals need more training on how to approach conversations about jabs. Health professionals interviewed for the study also said there was a need for more pro-vaccine messages on social media, including using influencers to spread the message about why jabs are important. 'Public health campaigns should be countering misinformation in the places where parents/carers/young people are seeing it – on social media,' the report said. 'More needs to be done to share positive messages about vaccination and the benefits of getting vaccinated.' The report also recommended making education on vaccinations 'a mandatory part of young people's personal health lessons, teaching young people about the public health benefits of vaccination, the science behind how vaccinations are developed and the serious health consequences of catching some of the vaccine-preventable diseases.' RCPCH officer for health improvement, Dr Helen Stewart, said: 'Steady declines in vaccination rates in a wealthy country such as the United Kingdom is extremely concerning. 'Parents are often blamed for vaccine hesitancy, but the reality is that there are many who simply need better support and easier access to appointments. 'With the right guidance and access, they'd gladly protect their children with these essential vaccines. 'If we are ever to truly tackle low uptake, then we must first ensure that everyone who is willing to be vaccinated is able to do so quickly and easily.' Alison Morton, chief executive of the Institute for Health Visitors, said: 'Whilst most parents get their children vaccinated without hesitation, the widening inequalities and decline in vaccine uptake rates are a national cause for concern. 'This timely report presents a compelling case to ensure babies and children are protected against serious diseases that were once feared by families and can cause so much unnecessary harm.' Dr Julie Yates, deputy director for immunisations programmes at UKHSA, said: 'We know our colleagues in general practice and other services are working exceptionally hard to deliver our immunisation programmes and through their efforts they protect millions of children each year. 'However, we must not become complacent and UKHSA is committed to working with the NHS and partners to improve childhood vaccine uptake. 'Despite the challenges, it is also important to note that parents have high confidence in vaccinations with almost 90% agreeing vaccines are effective. 'The NHS England vaccination strategy is already working to improve the 'front door' to vaccination, ensuring more flexible appointment booking systems, making vaccines more widely available across locations, making access easier and ease of responding to the specific needs identified within each community.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Parents face hurdles vaccinating children
Parents are being prevented from vaccinating their children because of obstacles such as difficulty booking appointments and a lack of reminders on what jabs are needed and when, a report suggests. Child health experts say "practical or logistical reasons" are discouraging families more often than fears over the vaccines. Vaccine uptake in the UK has fallen over the last decade, leading to outbreaks of measles and whooping cough. UK health officials say they are committed to working with the NHS to improve vaccine uptake among children. Since 2022, no childhood vaccine in the UK has met the World Health Organisation target of 95% of children vaccinated, which ensures protection of vulnerable people. As a result, measles and other preventable diseases have made a comeback. A commission of experts from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) spent a year looking at why. Dr Helen Stewart, officer for health improvement at RCPCH, said the steady decline in vaccination rates in a wealthy country like the UK was "extremely concerning". But she said vaccine hesitancy, when parents waver over getting their children vaccinated, "is only part of a very complex picture". "The reality is that there are many who simply need better support and easier access to appointments," Dr Stewart said. Although confidence in vaccines is still relatively high, the report found barriers to accessing jabs are why many families don't protect their children. Some of the most common barriers include: difficulties getting through to book appointments at GP surgeries difficulties getting time off work for appointments limited transport options or no parking at GP surgeries not seeing the same GP each time so lack of trust not being able to speak to a GP or nurse to ask about the vaccines lack of reminders for jabs being sent out from GP not enough clear information about what jabs their child needs and when "One of the findings of this new report is that parents have no easy way to check their child's vaccination status," says children's emergency medicine specialist, Dr Stewart. "When I ask if the child is up to date with their vaccinations, the most common response is 'I think so'." Poorer families, some ethnic minority groups and migrant communities are much less likely to be vaccinated, and these inequalities have become more obvious since the pandemic, the report says. It also notes an absence of health visitors often means parents have no one they feel comfortable discussing vaccines openly with. Rise of vaccine distrust - why more of us are questioning jabs The report recommends using NHS apps to improve the experience of booking jabs, investing and expanding vaccination services, and funding health visitors to deliver some of them. It also calls on the development of the 'digital red book' to be finalised so parents can keep track of their children's vaccinations. The NHS website lists the full schedule of vaccinations for children, from babies, up to the age of 15. Dr Julie Yates, deputy director for immunisation programmes at UK Health Security Agency, said plans were in place to improve childhood vaccine uptake by ensuring more flexible appointment booking systems, making vaccines more widely available across different locations, and making access easier in all communities. "Despite the challenges, it is also important to note that parents have high confidence in vaccinations with almost 90% agreeing vaccines are effective," Dr Yates said. Alison Morton, chief executive of the Institute for Health Visitors, said the report presented "a compelling case" to ensure babies and children are protected against serious diseases which can cause so much unnecessary harm. Helen Bedford, professor of children's health at University College London, said improvements needed investment in staff and infrastructure. "Our children have the right to be protected from preventable diseases which can cause illness, disability or even death," she said, adding that a fall in children getting their vaccines had resulted in the deaths of 11 young babies from whooping cough last year. Falling vaccinations among children isn't just an issue in the UK, in 2023 there were nearly 16 million children who had not had any vaccinations, most of them in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Vaccination plea after measles cases rise in Scotland Millions of children at risk as vaccine uptake stalls Measles highest in 25 years in Europe, WHO says
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
‘Stubborn' barriers prevent parents from vaccinating their children
There are 'stubborn' barriers preventing parents from vaccinating their children, including difficulty booking appointments and a lack of GP reminders, according to a new report. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) formed a commission to look at declining vaccination rates and found that while some families are hesitant to vaccinate due to fears about the jabs, many face issues that could be resolved with more support. It comes after Lord Vallance, the science minister, said people have forgotten that diseases such as measles can kill. Uptake of vaccines in the UK has stalled over the last decade and is, in many cases, declining. None of the routine childhood vaccinations have met the target for 95% coverage since 2021, meaning youngsters are at risk of catching illnesses such as measles, meningitis and whooping cough. Key themes in the RCPCH study were that some people have difficulty booking appointments, especially ones that fit around work and childcare. Parents also reported inconvenient clinic locations and the high cost of public transport to get to appointments. There is also a lack of continuity of NHS care, with many parents seeing a different GP or clinician at each visit. The absence of health visitors was also 'especially significant' as it is often individual family circumstances that influence vaccination decisions. The report also noted a lack of reminders from GP surgeries about upcoming jabs, and a lack of digital records meaning parents and NHS staff could not easily see which jabs children had had. Parents also feared being judged for raising concerns about vaccines or having beliefs in alternative medicine, the study found. Researchers noted a growing disparity in vaccine uptake among some ethnic minority groups, socio-economically disadvantaged families and migrant communities. They face language difficulties, digital exclusion, and challenges in navigating the NHS, the study found. The report suggested that parents do not always have the information they want or need around vaccines, and that health professionals need more training on how to approach conversations about jabs. Health professionals interviewed for the study also said there was a need for more pro-vaccine messages on social media, including using influencers to spread the message about why jabs are important. 'Public health campaigns should be countering misinformation in the places where parents/carers/young people are seeing it – on social media,' the report said. ' More needs to be done to share positive messages about vaccination and the benefits of getting vaccinated.' The report also recommended making education on vaccinations 'a mandatory part of young people's personal health lessons, teaching young people about the public health benefits of vaccination, the science behind how vaccinations are developed and the serious health consequences of catching some of the vaccine-preventable diseases.' RCPCH officer for health improvement, Dr Helen Stewart, said: 'Steady declines in vaccination rates in a wealthy country such as the United Kingdom is extremely concerning. 'Parents are often blamed for vaccine hesitancy, but the reality is that there are many who simply need better support and easier access to appointments. 'With the right guidance and access, they'd gladly protect their children with these essential vaccines. 'If we are ever to truly tackle low uptake, then we must first ensure that everyone who is willing to be vaccinated is able to do so quickly and easily.' Alison Morton, chief executive of the Institute for Health Visitors, said: 'Whilst most parents get their children vaccinated without hesitation, the widening inequalities and decline in vaccine uptake rates are a national cause for concern. 'This timely report presents a compelling case to ensure babies and children are protected against serious diseases that were once feared by families and can cause so much unnecessary harm.' Dr Julie Yates, deputy director for immunisations programmes at UKHSA, said: 'We know our colleagues in general practice and other services are working exceptionally hard to deliver our immunisation programmes and through their efforts they protect millions of children each year. 'However, we must not become complacent and UKHSA is committed to working with the NHS and partners to improve childhood vaccine uptake. 'Despite the challenges, it is also important to note that parents have high confidence in vaccinations with almost 90% agreeing vaccines are effective. 'The NHS England vaccination strategy is already working to improve the 'front door' to vaccination, ensuring more flexible appointment booking systems, making vaccines more widely available across locations, making access easier and ease of responding to the specific needs identified within each community.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Parents face barriers to vaccinating children, says report
Parents are being prevented from vaccinating their children because of obstacles such as difficulty booking appointments and a lack of reminders on what jabs are needed and when, a report health experts say "practical or logistical reasons" are discouraging families more often than fears over the uptake in the UK has fallen over the last decade, leading to outbreaks of measles and whooping health officials say they are committed to working with the NHS to improve vaccine uptake among children. 'Easier access' Since 2022, no childhood vaccine in the UK has met the World Health Organisation target of 95% of children vaccinated, which ensures protection of vulnerable people. As a result, measles and other preventable diseases have made a comeback.A commission of experts from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) spent a year looking at Helen Stewart, officer for health improvement at RCPCH, said the steady decline in vaccination rates in a wealthy country like the UK was "extremely concerning". But she said vaccine hesitancy, when parents waver over getting their children vaccinated, "is only part of a very complex picture"."The reality is that there are many who simply need better support and easier access to appointments," Dr Stewart confidence in vaccines is still relatively high, the report found barriers to accessing jabs are why many families don't protect their of the most common barriers include:difficulties getting through to book appointments at GP surgeriesdifficulties getting time off work for appointmentslimited transport options or no parking at GP surgeriesnot seeing the same GP each time so lack of trustnot being able to speak to a GP or nurse to ask about the vaccineslack of reminders for jabs being sent out from GPnot enough clear information about what jabs their child needs and when"One of the findings of this new report is that parents have no easy way to check their child's vaccination status," says children's emergency medicine specialist, Dr Stewart."When I ask if the child is up to date with their vaccinations, the most common response is 'I think so'."Poorer families, some ethnic minority groups and migrant communities are much less likely to be vaccinated, and these inequalities have become more obvious since the pandemic, the report also notes an absence of health visitors often means parents have no one they feel comfortable discussing vaccines openly with. Digital red book The report recommends using NHS apps to improve the experience of booking jabs, investing and expanding vaccination services, and funding health visitors to deliver some of also calls on the development of the 'digital red book' to be finalised so parents can keep track of their children's NHS website lists the full schedule of vaccinations for children, from babies, up to the age of Julie Yates, deputy director for immunisation programmes at UK Health Security Agency, said plans were in place to improve childhood vaccine uptake by ensuring more flexible appointment booking systems, making vaccines more widely available across different locations, and making access easier in all communities."Despite the challenges, it is also important to note that parents have high confidence in vaccinations with almost 90% agreeing vaccines are effective," Dr Yates Morton, chief executive of the Institute for Health Visitors, said the report presented "a compelling case" to ensure babies and children are protected against serious diseases which can cause so much unnecessary Bedford, professor of children's health at University College London, said improvements needed investment in staff and infrastructure. "Our children have the right to be protected from preventable diseases which can cause illness, disability or even death," she said, adding that a fall in children getting their vaccines had resulted in the deaths of 11 young babies from whooping cough last year. Falling vaccinations among children isn't just an issue in the UK, in 2023 there were nearly 16 million children who had not had any vaccinations, most of them in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
