Vaccination Programme latest news

Latest resources and updates June 2024

Flu Letter Amendment published 18 June 2024. Please read this letter as it contains important information regarding QIVr availability and alternative(s) for upcoming season.

Cervical Screening Management System

For those cervical sample takers please ensure that you have completed the e-learning packages prior to the system going live on 24th June 2024.  For further information please access the NHS information.

The CSMS system can be accessed  here

MMR webinar

Please see the audience link to the Royal College Nursing Institute (RCNi©) Tackling measles webinar on 11th June 2024. Only registrants can sign-up to the webinar – so for nurses and midwives that’s being registered with the NMC (or GMC if doctors want to join).

Tackling measles: nursing’s role in supporting vaccination Tickets, Tue, Jun 11, 2024 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite

We do not as a team have access to registrations please contact RCNi© directly.

Pertussis focus

Pertussis (whooping cough) cases are rising and infants who are too young to start their vaccinations are at the greatest risk.

553 new cases were confirmed in England during January 2024, compared with 858 cases for the whole of 2023.

Young infants with pertussis are often likely to need hospital intervention as this disease can lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage.

All staff should be aware of the maternal pertussis offer and be discussing this vaccination with pregnant people at every contact.  Vaccinations may be offered at a routine antenatal contact but please be aware not all maternity units and clinics have this facility.  Practice nurses and GP colleagues should have a plan in place to ensure pregnant people are being routinely offered pertussis vaccination.

The current PGD criteria includes:

  • Pregnant women from 16 weeks of pregnancy.
  • Mothers with an infant less than 2 months of age who did not receive
    pertussis vaccination during their pregnancy.

Please encourage vaccination after birth (if unvaccinated during pregnancy) to bridge the gap for those infants at greatest risk.  All infants will then become eligible for routine immunisations at 8 weeks of age.  

Pertussis Vaccine changes from 1 July 2024

A prenatal pertussis bipartite letter has been published and can be accessed here Prenatal pertussis vaccine change from July 2024 letter – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This letter provides information about a vaccine change from 1 July 2024 when ADACEL® (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis vaccine (Tdap)), a non inactivated polio (IPV)-containing vaccine, will replace Boostrix-IPV® (dTaP/IPV) for the pertussis vaccination in pregnancy programme.

Please read carefully and direct any queries to your local screening and immunisation team.

The updated PGD will be authorised locally and will be available on the PGD pages once complete.

Please note that any potential pertussis cases need to be reported to the UKHSA Health Protection Team. The Health Protection Team will then advise further actions required.

Email: PHE.EoEHPT@nhs.net

Tel: 0300 303 8537

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