Public health - topics: immunisation

This section will include resources and issues related to immunisation.

The World Health Organization acknowledge that after clean water, vaccination is the most effective public health intervention in the world for saving lives and promoting good health. It is now seen as the most cost effective of health care activities and is a recognised critical element of preventive care around the world (Plotkin et al., 2008).

A successful vaccination programme results in a low incidence of vaccine preventable diseases within the community; the consequence of this is that the public and health care staff have limited knowledge or experience of the illnesses themselves.

Measles is often associated with being a disease of the past and as a result people may be unaware that it is dangerous and can lead to death in severe cases. However as we have seen where the uptake of immunisation falls, outbreaks of disease occur often rapidly.

RCN statement from Helen Donovan, RCN Public Health Advisor, on the Measles outbreak in South Wales:

“Measles is a highly infectious and serious disease. Where uptake of the MMR vaccine has been low, large numbers of children will be at risk of contracting measles. We know that at the height of the now refuted concerns over the safety of the vaccine many parents were worried and chose not to get their child vaccinated. There is now a wealth of scientific evidence on the safety of the vaccine but many children in their teens remain unprotected against Measles Mumps and Rubella. In Swansea it seems that there were very intensive press campaigns highlighting these concerns at the time. We are concerned that there are other areas in the country where coverage of the MMR vaccine is low particularly in older children and teenagers and while there is no evidence that this will cause an outbreak on the scale seen in Wales, it is worth making sure that all children, particularly older children and teenagers are fully vaccinated. The MMR vaccine is safe and very effective. The RCN would urge all nurses to check through children’s records and make sure they have had 2 doses of MMR vaccine. We would also urge nurses to use opportunities when children come for their teenage booster vaccines or when coming for travel or other health advice to check their immunisation history. Parents and teenagers can check with their GP, health visitor, practice nurse or school nurse.”

Reference

Plotkin SL and Plotkin SA (2008) ‘A short history of vaccination’ in Plotkin SA, Orenstein WA and Offit PA (editors) Vaccines, (5th edition), (no place): Saunders/Elsevier, pp.1-16.