ILC-UK calls for a life course approach to adult immunisation starting with the flu jab for all over 50s

ILC-UK has published a report today calling for a new life course approach to adult immunisation, starting with extending NHS availability of the ‘flu jab to all over 50s.

The report was prompted by supply and demand issues with last winter’s flu vaccination and followed a subsequent ILC-UK meeting in March 2011 at which vaccine experts came together to discuss adult immunisation in the UK. The report also drew on previous ILC-UK work on adult immunisation.
Among the issues covered are the accessibility of adult vaccinations, public information campaigns, the role of the media and the role of healthcare professionals.

ILC-UK make a number of recommendations for improving adult immunisation in the UK including:
• The need to explicitly promote “life course vaccination”;
• Using age-group and risk group based recommendations, starting with recommending the flu jab for all over 50s;
• Introduction of a (paper and/or electronic) vaccination record card for adults;
• Expanding vaccination settings to include for example community pharmacies;
• Trialling workplace vaccination for older workers.

This report was made possible by an unrestricted grant from Pfizer UK Ltd.

Author: Rebecca Taylor