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Vaccine coverage and COVER (Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly)

Baby receiving vaccination

A programme for evaluating childhood immunisation.

The Centre for Infections (CfI) of the Health Protection Agency, in collaboration with the National Public Health Service for Wales, CDSC Northern Ireland and Health Protection Scotland, collates UK immunisation coverage statistics from computerised child health systems for children aged one, two and five years of age.

The COVER programme monitors immunisation coverage data for children in the United Kingdom who reach their first, second or fifth birthday during each evaluation quarter. This information is promptly fed back to local level, creating the opportunity to improve coverage and to detect changes in vaccine coverage quickly.

PLEASE NOTE: The COVER report for the second quarter of 2009/10 (July to September 2009) has been delayed.  This decision was made following a letter from the BMA sent on 15 September 2009 to all UK General Practitioners and Local Medical Committee which stated that due to the considerable amount of work involved in undertaking the H1N1 vaccination campaign the collection date in December for the quarter July to September 2009 childhood immunisation data will be delayed until mid-February 

The deadline for data submission of both Q09-2 (July to September 2009) and Q09-3 (October to December 2009) data is by 26th February 2010. 

Both Q09-2 an Q09-3 COVER reports will be published in the HPR on the 26th March 2010.

Feedback tables giving PCT level coverage at 12 months, 24 months and 5 years will also be published on this website on that date.

 

The NHS Information Centre has published 2008-09 annual immunisation statistics for England collected through the COVER programme.  

KEY FINDINGS:

  • For all age groups evaluated, vaccine uptake in England in 2008-09 of primary Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b (three doses of DTaP/IPV/Hib) remains greater than 90%. At 2 years of age  all 10 SHAs (Strategic Health Authorities), with the exception of London, reported uptake rates above 90%, of which 8 were 95% or above for DTaP/IPV/Hib.  80% of children in England have received their DTaP/IPV booster by age 5.
  • Coverage of Hib/MenC and PCV booster at 24 months in England published for the first time this year are 85% and 81% respectively.
  • After falling to its lowest recorded coverage  of 80% in 2003-04, uptake of one dose of the MMR vaccine in England for children reaching their second birthday increased steadily to 85% in 2006-07, where it has remained through to 2008-09
  • 78% of children have received two doses of MMR vaccine by the age of 5 years in England, a 4 percent increase on the previous year’s figure. This increase coincides with the launch of an MMR catch-up campaign for children aged 2 to 18 years which began in August 2008 following an increase in confirmed measles cases during 2007 and 2008. Although London remains below the national average, coverage for children at this age in the Capital has increased significantly from 49% for both doses in 2007-08 to 63% this year.

Annual neonate hepatitis B vaccine coverage in England:2006-07 to 2008-09 (HPR report Vol. 3, No. 34, 28th August 2009)
Since 1988, it has been recommended that infants born to mothers who are chronically infected with hepatitis B receive active vaccination against hepatitis B. Since April 2005, this data collection has been integrated into the routine COVER programme. Annual figures for 2006-07 to 2008-09 have been published and highlight the need for focus on improving vaccine upake in this selective immunisation programe:

KEY FINDINGS:
  • National coverage in England for three doses of hepatitis B vaccine in those who reached the age of one year in 2008-09 is 76%.  National coverage for four doses in those aged 24 months for 2008-09 is lower at 50% (regional range 8 to 81%).
  • Incomplete vaccination of babies at risk of perinatal hepatitis B transmission is thought to be associated with the population at risk being highly mobile and due to the inadequate organisation of the health services in notifying the need for this vaccination (Giraudon et al, Vaccine 2009; 27: 2016-2022).
  • Around a quarter of PCTs (Primary Care Trusts) in 2008-09 are still unable to provide data, showing no improvement on previous years reporting rates
  • Many PCTs returns had zero children at risk in this period. Some PCTs are unable to link children that have received HepB vaccination with maternal hepatitis B status and hence cannot provide the data requested.  This trend is concerning as monitoring is an essential part of ensuring that at-risk infants are vaccinated, and is an integral component of the UK's selective approach to control of hepatitis B.
  • PCTs that were unable to submit data are asked to urgently review the systems for obtaining this data.

Click here to view a summary of the latest quarterly report for Q09-1 (April to June 2009) and full quarterly coverage reports published in the Health Protection Report (HPR).  

Click here to view quarterly vaccine coverage data for each PCT since 2005 including PCT/Health Board/Administrative Region level maps of the latest quarterly vaccine coverage in the UK.

Links to annual coverage statistics can also be found here.  


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