Winter is coming! New plan to tackle flu revealed

Friday 18 August 2017

The Minister for Health and Social Services has signed off a new plan which will change the way flu vaccines are administered, in the hope that it will increase the number of vaccinated people, especially among groups that are considered most at risk.

Under the new plan, the flu vaccine has been removed from the prescribed list and made easier to access through practice nurses or pharmacists.

The aim of the new plan is to increase coverage of the vaccine, especially among those who are most vulnerable. Social Security and the Health and Social Services Department have identified ‘at risk’ groups, in line with guidance from the Joint Commission of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the UK Chief Medical Officer. According to these, 23,000 people, including children, pregnant women, people aged over 65 and those with a chronic disease, such as lung, heart and liver disease, should receive the vaccination 

Over the past couple of years, the uptake of the vaccine among those groups has been ‘poor,’ with only 24% of targeted groups being vaccinated. To reverse the trend, the flu vaccination process has been reviewed by GPs, pharmacists and HSSD doctors. They concluded that the current system restricted access to the vaccine and did not encourage practitioners to “…focus effort where the vaccination is most effective." They have therefore proposed a new process where the vaccine will be administered under contract to target and indicated groups, which required it to be taken off the prescribed list.

Pictured:  The new flu vaccine plan will target vulnerable people.

A spokesperson for Social Security explained: "The contract will improve the States’ ability to target who receives the vaccination and how it is delivered. In the past, the States has subsidised the cost of the flu vaccination but this subsidy was only available if the vaccination was delivered by a GP, and GPs were not encouraged to vaccinate the people who benefit most. 

“In the new plan, the States will pay practitioners to get the vaccination to people who really need it which will result in the programme being far more effective in protecting those most vulnerable.”

The Health Services aim to have 75% of the population aged over 60 vaccinated through the new plan. The spokesperson admitted: "It is quite a stretch but we are really hoping we can make a difference with the new plan. We are confident this is the right direction to take.”

Pictured: GPs will not be the only ones able to distribute the vaccines under the new plan.

The nasal flu vaccine will also be offered to more children than in the past, with an extension to include all primary school children. It will also be offered to children aged two to four years old through their nursery or preschool. It is hoped this will make it easier and more convenient for parents to get their child protected against flu. Additionally, GPs will be given a bonus when they go into schools to vaccinate children.

Pictured: More children will be able to receive the flu vaccine at school this winter.

Dr Nigel Minihane, Chair of the Primary Care Body, is unsure of the impact the new process will have on the people who are showing resistance to the vaccine and how convenient it will be for people. He is however convinced that the plan will help increase coverage among children, known as 'super spreaders.' He explained: "There is more and more evidence that this is where the focus should be. Children are close to each other and help spread the virus. This year, GPs will be going into primary schools as well as nurseries which means that, if parents agree to it, more young children will be vaccinated."

Pictured: Pregnant women, along with children, people aged over 65 and those with a chronic disease are the targets of the new vaccine flu.

There will also be more choice about where to get the vaccine. Pharmacists and practice nurses will be able to offer flu vaccinations in high street pharmacies or in surgeries at a significantly subsidised rate. 

Sarah Whiteman, Medical Director for the Primary Care Body, is hopeful the plan will increase the uptake of the vaccine. She said: "It is something that we worked on jointly with the Health services. We observed a bigger flu outbreak last year which resulted in more people being admitted to hospital. We noticed a poor vaccination rate in some groups and decided to target people who are at risk and those who help spread the virus in the new plan. We have taken a very innovative approach and I hope it will be very efficient."

Last year around 18,000 people in Jersey received the flu vaccination, but around 30% of these fell outside of the clinical or target groups. As there is no evidence that providing the vaccine to those who are not at risk helps prevent the virus from spreading, people who do not fall in the target groups will no longer be subsidised. They will still have access to a flu vaccination but will be charged for it as a ‘private’ patient.