BULLETIN BOARD

HPV vaccine

The chapter on human papilloma virus for the Green Book has been published separately and included in an information pack, but will also be in the next edition of Immunisation against infectious diseases (The Green Book). Keep an eye out for “patches” to amend your hard copy.

Vaccine information (UK)

Latest information available on the NHS website.

Register for the Department of Health Vaccine and Immunisation information.

New yellow fever training programme

As part of the Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre (YFVC) programme being delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government, Health Protection Scotland (HPS) is introducing and monitoring mandatory training for designated YFVCs in Scotland. For queries on any aspect of the designation process or administration of yellow fever vaccine in Scotland contact:
HPS
Travel Health (Yellow Fever)
Clifton House
Clifton Place
Glasgow G3 7LN
Telephone: 0141 300 1948.
Email: nss.hpsyellowfever@nhs.net

Visit the HPS website for training dates.

YFVCs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are administered by NaTHNaC.

WHO recommendations for influenza vaccines

Composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the Southern hemisphere 2009 and for the Northern hemisphere 2008-2009. View recommendations at WHO website.

WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record Bulletin

Keep up with global issues and disease reports, visit the WHO website to view full issues.

NHS Choices

NHS Connecting for Health is taking over responsibility for NHS Choices, the Government’s national patient portal for delivering patient choice and health information services. Following the transfer, NHS Choices will become the point of access for HealthSpace, the online organiser used to give people access to their NHS Summary Care Record. It will also be the route for the public to access the electronic booking system, Choose and Book. Check out the Travel Health section on the NHS website.

Workforce trends

Commissioned by the DH Modernising Nursing Careers programme, a scoping study of the primary care and community nurse workforce trends over 10 years by Vari Drennan and Kathy Davis, has been published. View the report on the Healthcare website.

Growing workforce

The size of the average GP practice has increased by a third over the last 10 years with practice nurses up by 40 per cent and GPs by a third.

DH figures show that in 1997 England had 28,046 GPs working in 9,102 practices, an average of 3.1 GPs per practice. By 2008, the number of practices had fallen to 8,261, but overall the number of GPs had risen to 33,365, showing that each practice now houses an average of four GPs.

In 1997, there were 10,082 full time equivalent practice nurses while 10 years later that figure had increased to 14,554.

Read NHS staff 1997–2007 (general practice).

How much protection against harmful rays?

A study by market researchers Mintel looked at over 750 sun creams launched across Europe in 2007. Although the majority protect against UVB rays, which cause the skin to burn, many do not shield against UVA rays, which penetrate deeper and are responsible for ageing. Either form of sunray can lead to skin cancer and fewer than half of these products offered protection against both – the majority were missing UVA protection.

Experts from the British Association of Dermatologists warned consumers to ensure that their sun cream offers both forms of protection – also, as products can vary in different countries, holidaymakers should buy sun cream in Britain. People should use minimum SPF15 and raise that to SPF30 in extremely sunny weather. Earlier this year a survey for Which? magazine showed that many sun creams did not live up to the claims on their bottles and many had a different SPF rating than that advertised.

Immunisation statistics 2007/2008

The NHS Immunisation Centre has published HPA CFI data showing:

After falling to 80 per cent in 2003–2004, uptake of the MMR vaccine for children reaching their second birthday increased steadily to 85 per cent in 2006–2007 and remained there in 2007–2008.

For children reaching their second birthday, uptake of vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, haemophilus influenzae type b and meningitis C ranges between 93 and 94 per cent – unchanged for the last five years.

Nearly 220,000 BCG vaccinations in 2007–2008 represented an increase of 26 per cent on the previous year (172,000) given to those in specified at risk categories. While this may be caused, in part, by greater familiarity with the new BCG policy, it may also be down to better recording and reporting of immunisation.

In the first year of reporting (as experimental data), uptake of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) was 84 per cent for children immunised by their first birthday.

The number of people aged 65 and over immunised against influenza was 74 per cent in 2007–2008 – no change from the previous year.

Full report at the NHS Information Centre.

Call for return to primary health care approach

The World Health Report 2008 critically assesses the way health care is organised, financed and delivered in rich and poor countries around the world. The report documents a number of failures and shortcomings that have left the health status of different populations, both within and between countries, dangerously out of balance. It commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Alma-Ata International Conference on Primary Health Care held in 1978 when health equity was first put on the international political agenda. Read Primary health care – now more than ever.

Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2007

CMO Sir Liam Donaldson introduces five new topics for focus:

teenage health
safety of surgery
vaccines for the future
the high rate of oesophageal cancer in England (especially in women)
the extent of racial inequalities in medical careers.

Read On the State of Public Health.

The DH vision

A new strategy published by the Department of Health gives patients and the public a stronger voice, enabling them to make informed decisions and have greater choice and control in managing their health and health care. Read Our vision for primary and community care.

Lonely Planet Mash-up Map

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Go Gap Year website has launched a new interactive tool, combining a Google World Map offering tailored gap year destination advice from Lonely Planet with links to FCO country-specific advice. It’s a great resource for any travellers planning a gap year.

Flu pandemic survivors retain immunity

Scientists in America have discovered that antibody-producing B-cells isolated from survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic are effective in protecting mice from the lethal H5N1 infection. The research suggests that survivors may have retained lifelong immunity and they hope that further research will identify potential therapy for another 1918-type virus. The flu pandemic of 1918 killed 50 million people.