Find all the vaccine uptake data here

There's a lot of people out there who haven't had their vaccines. And a lot of reasons for it.

TIPS: Increasing confidence

Uptake isn't always down to hesitancy. Sometimes people just don't know what they are entitled to - or WHY

Anecdotally, I've heard people thinking diseases that can actually be very serious as 'mild' or just generally underestimating the power of vaccination.

For instance:

"What's the point?" "Shingles - that's just a rash right?", or "Flu - just a bad cold right?", or, "Rabies - don't the vaccines just 'buy you more time?"

These not-entirely-accurate statements indicate a person probably needs a little more education on the diseases.

So, what can we do about this?

If your vaccinees just get invited in to have a vaccine, how much information do you provide them with at the same time? Could you consider sending a link to a reputable source like the Vaccine Knowledge Project? Or Travel Health Pro? We are competing with social media A LOT in healthcare. It's all very well saying 'do your research'. But we must provide those tools to do the RIGHT research. What about the conversations? Do you have enough time to address questions, seek out sources of anxiety or misinformation, and reassure your vaccinees?

Importantly, do they leave your clinic thinking "YES!!!! I did a great thing for my health today"...?

QUICK TIP: In each of the vaccine pages on this site I have included tidbits of information that are easy to drop into a conversation during those stretched appointment times. One simple sentence of information can go a LONG way sometimes as we see with social media snapshots. This can go both ways, either leading someone to start worrying about VACCINES or, perhaps more sensibly, worrying about the DISEASES they prevent.

THIS is SUCH an interesting website: The Vaccine Confidence Project. It was established in 2010 by Professor Heidi Larson at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to understand growing vaccine skepticism around the world. This was the first research group to map and monitor public confidence in vaccination at a global scale. It claims to be the ONLY research group fully dedicated to understanding the roots, trends over time, and impacts of vaccine confidence. Do pay it a visit and have a browse.

NICE have been very involved with vaccine confidence, especially after growing concerns about COVID-19 vaccine refusers, and an upsurge of growing mistrust in the population. In May 2022 they updated and published some very useful guidance for increasing vaccine uptake. Useful resource - check it out!! They also produced further guidance specifically on Influenza vaccine uptake. Find that here.

The National Vaccination Strategy that came out in December 2023 outlines some very exciting goals to widen the roles who can vaccinate and to increase the spotlight on immunisation among all health care workers. This article appeared a couple of months after it's release talking about health visitors giving childhood vaccinations. Pilots are being carried out in several areas of the UK. Could we see more vaccinations being given by services outside of GP surgeries? Are there hints that we are heading this way and expanding vaccine provision? Watch this space!

Practical tips for in the clinic - find some by clicking here!!!

Find lots of useful NHS resources to order such as posters, leaflets and stickers, digital media, braille and easy read materials - plus campaign materials here

The FAQ's on the Vaccine Knowledge Project are really good. Have a look....

If you are an RCN member (or know someone who is) there is some very useful practical advice on their website for having positive conversations around vaccines. (this was a very useful bit of the website but the link seems to be broken now - I have emailed the RCN to make inquiries about where it is hanging out these days)

Some evidence has shown that the most successful method of inviting patients to come for vaccines is to make a simple phonecall. Even better if it is by someone who is well-versed in their knowledge about the disease itself.

JitsuVAX

If you like psychology you will love this....

This site gives an overview of the 11 main psychological reasons (so-called attitude roots) why people believe in misinformation about vaccination. In addition, the site offers guidance on what to say when confronted with misconceptions in a face-to-face conversation. In short, you will find examples of responses to over 60 misinformation themes that may arise in face-to-face conversations with patients, colleagues or friends.

Recently, there have been many new approaches to counter misinformation in public debates, for example on social media. But how do you counter misinformation in a face-to-face conversation without jeopardising the relationship? For example, in doctor-patient conversations or in a conversation with a friend on a walk? This site provides assistance for such situations and is aimed at anyone who wants to better understand their counterpart.

Vegans, vegetarians and faith groups

Vegetarians and vegans, and some religious groups, are often concerned about the use of animal products in vaccines. How do you handle this? This is useful government advice on the use of animal products in medicines. And here is some useful government advice on the use of porcine gelatine in vaccines. And, of course, the Vaccine Knowledge Project also have some gelatine-based information for the public.

Also have a look at what societies and organisations are saying. Here you will find an Informal article from ‘Vegan Friendly’. Although this is not a government-approved site, there are some interesting points raised and it's always good to keep on top of what certain organisations are communicating to their followers. There are some quite strong (positive) opinions about vaccines in this particular article.

More useful reading

What if someone had a bad experience last time? Understandably, they will be worried about next time. Have a read of this interesting article: Adverse events are a predictor or hesitancy over future vaccines

CATCH UP CAMPAIGNS: MMR is a big focus and here you will find some practice tips and goals for increasing uptake

Here is some interesting reading around the impact of vaccines. If you are in any doubt about how beneficial they are for public health read this!

March 2024 saw an NHS childhood vaccination marketing campaign launched. Along with it, a communications toolkit for NHS and local authorities.

Pregnancy is a hot topic. Take a look at this systematic review: Interventions to increase vaccination against COVID-19, influenza and pertussis during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Also this is an interesting read "Vaccination in pregnancy: The role of the midwife"

A cautionary tale!! Here are the tribunal details involving a struck-off Midwife in relation to misinformation she spread online. Here is a short video with her son's thoughts on the whole matter (he's basically VERY done with her). This is another tale of a struck-off GP for undermining the public health interventions of the pandemic.

The NHS parental attitudes report arrived in March 2024. This indicated that healthcare professionals are one of the most trusted sources of information for parents (midwives in particular!). Vaccine hesitant Healthcare Professionals hence should be very mindful of their codes of conduct. The NMC updated their 'freedom of expression' guidance in December 2023. take a look... They also have a stance on using social media responsibly which was also updated in December 2023.

BMJ resource: Social media and hesitancy

Interesting study published in March 2023: Factors influencing influenza, pneumococcal and shingles vaccine uptake and refusal in older adults: a population-based cross-sectional study in England

What are your thoughts on mandatory vaccination? Interesting free webinar about mandating vaccines and all the inevitable debates that go with it: Vaccine mandates around the world - do they work? I was thinking about so much stuff after this webinar. Thought-provoking indeed.

Thought-provoking (American) article published March 2025: Unvaccinated Children in Pediatric Care: To Accept or Not?

Can you discern misinformation? Try this test of misinformation susceptibility.

Very informative free webinar around measles vaccination discussions - just beware the USA guidance on vaccination schedules which differs to that used in the UK. Measles in a Time of Uncertainty: What to Tell Your Patients.

"Every ten seconds, one child is saved by a vaccine against a fatal disease." Our World in Data