Quarterly vaccine coverage: April to June 2009

KEY FINDINGS

• UK coverage for DTaP/IPV/Hib3, MenC and PCV at 12 months remains steady between 92 and 93%. Coverage for all three immunisations is around 91% in England, below the WHO target of 95%; and Scotland and Northern Ireland achieved at least 96% coverage, and Wales at least 95%.
• UK coverage for DTaP/IPV/Hib3 at 24 months remained similar to the last quarter's figure at 94.8%; eight out of ten English regions, and Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales achieved at least 95%.
• MMR coverage at 24 months in the UK continued to increase steadily and is now 87%, a level last recorded more than eight years ago in 2001.  Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland all achieved MMR coverage of at least 90%.
• UK PCV booster (scheduled at the same time as first dose of MMR) coverage at 24 months is similar to MMR coverage at 86.8%.  Coverage of this booster  along withand the Hib/MenC booster (89.1%), has continued to increase since their introduction to the immunization schedule in September 2006.
• Wales, Northern Ireland, and all English regions, except for London, achieved at least 92% coverage for DTP/Pol3, Hib3 and MenC at 5 years.  Scotland achieved at least 95% coverage for all three immunisations.
• UK coverage of one dose of MMR by 5 years of age is 90.7%, with both Scotland and Northern Ireland achieving at least 95%. UK coverage of two doses of MMR by five years of age increased to 82%, the highest level recorded since the COVER programme started evaluating MMR2 in April to June 1998.
• These improvements in MMR coverage are thought to reflect the impact of the ongoing MMR catch-up programme targeting all unvaccinated children up to 18 years of age in England announced by the Chief Medical Officer in August 2008, and local NHS and health protection staff efforts to increase MMR coverage in all unvaccinated children followed the widely reported rise in measles incidence across England and Wales during 2008/09.
• Both the MMR catch-up and Vital Signs immunisation indicator initiatives have resulted not only in improvements in the total number of children receiving vaccinations but also in the quality of data held on some child health information systems due to data cleaning. However, the roll out of new child health systems, particularly in London, has resulted in some PCTs being unable to provide reliable data for all the immunisations evaluated in this COVER report, particularly for children aged five years.
• National coverage for three doses of Hepatitis B in those aged one year has remained similar to the previous quarter at 67%.   National coverage for four doses of Hepatitis B in those aged 24 months increased by 5% to 51% compared to the last quarter.

 

The full report can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

• Quarterly Health Protection Reports and Communicable Disease Reports on the COVER programme for childhood immunisation
  Added/updated: 20 November 2009
  
• Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly (COVER) Annual Reports
  Added/updated: 28 May 2008