Supermarkets may offer MMR jab service

Doctors who man pop-up hubs in shops could receive cash rewards to help meet pre-school jab targets

The MMR vaccine may be offered in supermarkets and town centres under proposals being considered by NHS leaders. The initiative comes as a National Audit Office report revealed the health service was failing to meet pre-school vaccination targets for six out of seven vital jabs. The findings suggest difficulties securing GP appointments and a poor reminder system were behind the decline.

THE MMR vaccine could be offered in supermarkets and town centres under proposals being considered by NHS leaders. The initiative comes as a National Audit Office (NAO) report revealed that the health service is failing to meet pre-school vaccination targets for six out of seven vital jabs.

The findings suggest that difficulties with securing GP appointments and a fragmented system for alerting families to the need for inoculations is fuelling the decline.

Just 86.4 per cent of children now receive the second dose of their MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab by age five, far lower than the 95 per cent needed for “herd immunity”, which keeps diseases at bay.

Meanwhile, the Hib/menc booster at ages two and five has never exceeded 95 per cent and continues to fall. Managers at NHS England are now so worried they have begun looking at ways of incentivising doctors to offer vaccinations in more convenient locations.

It is thought that these could include a framework of cash rewards for those who man pop-up vaccination hubs in supermarkets, to be written into contracts with new local GP groupings called Primary Care Networks.

It follows threats from Matt Hancock, the Health and Social Care Secretary, to introduce mandatory vaccinations in schools if the situation does not improve.

There are now estimated to be 90,000 five-year-olds who have not had both doses of MMR.

Last night the Royal College of General Practitioners accepted the need for a more coherent system, but also blamed the “toxic myths” put about by anti-vaxx propagandists online for the slump. However, the NAO report found “limited evidence” of this kind of impact, noting that public confidence in vaccines remains generally high.

A government spokesman said:

“Vaccines save lives, and are a cornerstone of public health. We are incredibly concerned by the decline of vaccination rates, and are taking urgent action to reverse this.”

In 2013 overall responsibility for inviting families for jabs shifted from local health chiefs to NHS England, following the shake-up of services by Andrew Lansley.

“NHS England has not set out requirements of GPS for call/recall under the changed arrangements,” the report states.

“As a result, call/recall is done inconsistently and there is no coherent system,” the spokesman said.

There were 970 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales in 2018, compared to 255 in 2017.

Earlier this year the World Health Organisation withdrew the UK’S measles elimination status. However, the UK situation reflects the re-emergence of the disease internationally.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: “One of the most effective, cheap and essential tools for keeping us all safe is a simple, free jab it can save the life of your child.”