Date: Tuesday 30 March 2021
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm GMT

The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore all too starkly the importance of ensuring people of all ages have access to immunisation, especially now that the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine has begun.

However, the uptake of adult immunisation is not consistent across the UK and recent uptake data has demonstrated a decline in vaccine uptake among the over 65s.

Our “Safeguarding Healthy Ageing” report, commissioned by MSD, made three main recommendations on how the UK healthcare system could be optimised to improve immunisation rates among older adults:

• Take a life course approach
• Utilise data effectively
• Get commissioning right

This working group meeting focussed on translating our first recommendation into action. In particular, it discussed how we can embed a life course approach to immunisation in the UK healthcare system and consistent frame immunisation as being first and foremost a means of maintaining health and wellbeing.

MSD initiated and fully funded this activity.