Report: Vaccination in the UK: access, uptake and equity, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)
What are the main points?
> The core challenges are practical and logistical, with the current system ‘fragmented’ and ‘hard to navigate’, too often failing ‘the very families who need it most.’
> Research and public health resources sometimes focus too heavily on vaccine hesitancy. There are many parents who want to vaccinate but can’t access services. Addressing access-related barriers is critical.
> There is a growing disparity in vaccine uptake among some ethnic minority groups, socioeconomically disadvantaged families and migrant communities.
> The UK also needs to ‘prioritise investments in infrastructure, digital health records for children, staffing levels and staff training’. This includes investing in health visitors and the immunisation workforce.
EXPERT THOUGHT
Dr Helen Stewart
RCPCH Officer for Health Improvement
Vaccinations are one of the most powerful tools we have in preventing ill health. 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.
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