PHE: GPs should consider child immunisation catch-up campaign

GPs should consider catch-up plans for children who have missed immunisations due to the pandemic, Public Health England (PHE) has said.

They should continue offering routine immunisations and check that any that have been missed are rescheduled, it added.

PHE’s latest interim analysis on the impact of Covid on child vaccinations said that all children who have missed routine vaccinations during the pandemic ‘remain eligible for their vaccines’.

It added that further disruption to vaccination programmes is ‘possible’ due to lockdown measures and social distancing.

The document, published yesterday, said: ‘As physical distancing and lockdown measures change throughout the course of the pandemic it is possible that there may be further impact on primary immunisations. 

‘It is therefore important for General Practitioners and local teams to continue offering routine immunisations, check that any infants or children impacted during the pandemic are rescheduled for their immunisation and, where required, consider implementing catch-up or recovery plans. ‘

It comes as GPs in London have been asked to ‘stand down’ non-essential work – not including childhood immunisations – over the next two weeks.

And NHS England is set to announce the removal of ‘unnecessary contractual burdens’ in a bid to free up time to deliver Covid vaccinations.