Uptake of seasonal influenza vaccine among NHS frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in England has increased to the highest ever levels, the latest figures from Public Health England show.
Data on the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccine among frontline HCWs during the 2017/2018 vaccination campaign in England (cumulative vaccinations administered from 1 September 2017 to 28 February 2018) have been returned by all 246 NHS trusts.
The data shows that in the 2017/2018 season, 68.7 per cent of all frontline HCWs received the vaccine, a 5.5 per cent increase compared to the previous season, during which 63.2 per cent were vaccinated. The latest figure is the highest uptake achieved since the start of the HCW influenza vaccination programme in the 2002/2003 season when uptake reached just 14 per cent.
Vaccine uptake increased in all staff groups in the 2017/2018 season compared to the previous season. The highest uptake by staff group in the 2017/2018 season was among GP practice nurses, with an uptake rate of 72.5 per cent, while all doctors (including GPs) had an uptake of 71.1 per cent. The lowest uptake was among support to GP staff (61.5%).
Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake (from all trusts) aggregated by local NHS England team ranged from 64.2 per cent to 80.8 per cent in the 2017/2018 season. The highest uptake by an NHS trust was 92.3 per cent, with 27.5 per cent of all trusts achieving uptake rates of 75 per cent or more. The lowest uptake reported by a trust was 38.9 per cent in the 2017/2018 season.
Geographically, the highest influenza vaccine uptake was in the North of England region and the lowest was reported in the London region.