MMR: the struggle for national coverage Introduction of a measles vaccine in 1968 has reduced annual cases in England from around 460,000 to less than 1,000. However, the levels of vaccine coverage needed to eradicate measles remain elusive.…
MMR: Winning the battle for hearts and minds Community pharmacy is in a prime position to help refute damaging anti-vaccination myths and, as a direct result, could save lives.…
Measles vaccinations should be compulsory for pre-school children, study concludes Measles vaccinations should be compulsory for children before they start school to help prevent the disease becoming endemic in the UK within 30 years, researchers have suggested.…
Appointment availability is behind huge number of missed measles vaccinations, PHE expert says A senior epidemiologist at Public Health England has said that concerns about vaccinations are unlikely to be behind figures from international children’s charity UNICEF, which show that half a million children in the UK have not received their first vaccination against measles.…
Stopping whooping cough in its tracks Whooping cough incidence is increasing in the UK, possibly owing to a change in vaccine type in 2004. Epidemiologists are working to develop solutions that could eventually eradicate the disease.…
Scottish HPV vaccine programme dramatically reduced cervical disease, study shows Routine vaccination of girls aged 12–13 years with the bivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in Scotland has resulted in a dramatic reduction in pre-invasive cervical disease, research published in The BMJ has shown.…
Community pharmacy delivers more than 70,000 more flu vaccines during 2018/2019 season Community pharmacies in England delivered more than 70,000 more flu vaccinations during the 2018/2019 flu season compared to 2017/2018, according to provisional figures published by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.…
European hospital pharmacists pledge support for EU vaccination plans The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists has pledged its support for EU plans to improve vaccination coverage and tackle ‘vaccine hesitancy’.…
Vaccinations in community settings could improve uptake, public health report finds Timing, availability and location of appointments are all barriers to vaccination uptake, a report published by the Royal Society for Public Health has found.…
First cell-based quadrivalent vaccine available for 2019/2020 flu season A new cell-based seasonal influenza vaccine has been issued marketing approval by the European Commission and will be available for the 2019/2020 flu season.…