New online snapshot of health

15 September 2010

At-a-glance health information has been published online today, showing that the West Country has low levels of many infections and good uptake of vaccinations,

This information can be found in the new Health Protection Profiles, which look at 19 health categories or “indicators”, and compares your local area with others that are similar (based on key characteristics) and the national average, they can be found at: www.hpa.org.uk/healthprotectionprofiles

The profiles cover infections such as measles, TB, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), vaccine uptake for jabs such as MMR, HPV and seasonal influenza, food poisoning notifications and environmental hazards, such as high radon gas levels in homes.

People using the profiles can see whether their local area has a high rate of Chlamydia infection, good uptake of the MMR vaccine, a high percentage of establishments compliant with food safety, or low levels of tuberculosis.

There are a number of positive messages especially relating to vaccine uptake and asthma. Bath and North East Somerset and Gloucestershire both had a high uptake of the first dose of MMR as well as the pneumococcal vaccine for the over 65s.

The percentage of five year olds in Wiltshire having their first and second doses of the MMR vaccine were among the highest in the country in 2008/09

Uptake of the seasonal flu vaccine in at risk groups in South Gloucestershire was among the highest in the country.

 In 2008/09 Swindon was among the highest areas in the country for the uptake of all three doses of the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine in 12 – 13 year olds in 2008/09.

There were low levels of disease with rates of measles cases with North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Swindon being among the lowest in the country for 2006/08.

Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire were among the lowest areas in the country for the rate of hospital admissions due to asthma in 2007 with rates in Wiltshire also being below the national average.

In contrast, uptake of the first dose of the MMR vaccine by two years of age and of the second dose by five years of age in Bristol was lower than the national average in 2008/09.

Although the data itself has been published before, this interactive and user-friendly format is new and highly visual having been designed and developed following repeated road testing and discussions with members of the public.

Dr. Mark Evans, Unit Director for Avon, Gloucester and Wiltshire HPA, said: “This type of data is critically important, but often in the past it’s not been easy for the public to find, understand and compare local areas. These new profiles signal a change in how we present this information, allowing people to become more aware of local health issues, understand their context a little more and know where to go to find out more.

Many people know of the risks to health and the steps that they can take to help protect themselves such as vaccinations and safe sex but these profiles help show these risks and protective measures in a new light, giving people a greater understanding of how these risks may affect them and what they can do about them.

Last reviewed: 1 October 2010