Agenda item

The Director of Public Health will provide the Commission with a verbal update.

The Director of Public Health provided the Commission with a verbal update. Key points to note were as follows:

• There had been an increase in MMR 2 uptake meaning that Leicester City was now higher than many comparator areas.
• There had been an increased uptake for Flu and Covid vaccinations, detailed figures were not yet available.
• The HPV school vaccination programme had commenced in January; a new consent form appeared to have increased uptake.
• Long-term organisational changes within ICB and future structure of team responsible for immunisation and screening not yet determined.
• The TB action plan had been refreshed with a new plan and risk register.
• Regarding the Meningitis outbreak in Kent the following was noted:
• It was an unusually large outbreak, there were now 23 confirmed and probable cases. New cases were not evident, and the outbreak seemed to be well contained. Suspected cases in Leicester had not actually been Meningitis.
• The outbreak seemed to have centred around a nightclub due to close contact as possibly sharing of drinks and vapes.
• Around 10% of the population were likely to carry the Meningococcal bacteria, but this was mostly harmless and did not become invasive.
• This outbreak was Meningitis B, the vaccination was currently only given to babies, offering good protection for the first few years and then beginning to wane. For the other strain (ACWY), vaccinations were offered to school children aged 13 and 14.
• The UK Health Security Agency and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will be considering whether including the MenB vaccine in the school aged schedule is now cost effective.
• Within Leicester, vaccine uptake was being encouraged via promotional materials and campaigns were being run directly with young people.
• Leicester vaccination rates for Meningitis B were at around a 90% uptake for one-year-olds and 86% for two-year-olds. The school age uptake for the ACWY vaccine was just less than 50%. It was hoped that the new consent forms would improve uptake. 
• The UK Health Security campaigns were being utilised and Community Wellbeing Champions and radio publicity were raising awareness.
• The publicity information and details on signs and symptoms could be circulated to councillors.

In response to member and Young People’s Council (YPC) member questions and discussions, the following was noted:

• A team from the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) go into schools to carry out the vaccinations.
• Early indications are that the new process for vaccine consent had led to a 10% point increase across school vaccinations.
• Meningitis vaccine supply was sufficient.
• Teams in Public Health were working closely with ICB colleagues and at LPT to continue to promote the vaccine message. Messages had been sent to teachers via the intranet.
• The UK Health Security Agency carried out contact tracing for those in close contact with Meningitis cases. GP Practices within Leicester would be able to supply the necessary antibiotics should they be required.
• Meningitis symptoms could be confused with many other illnesses, so the advice focussed on understanding when to raise concerns and call 999. .
• Members recommended that the Commission write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care for more funding for the vaccination programme for the city.
• The House of Lords were setting up a committee to look at childhood vaccination rates; it was hoped that they would come to Leicester to understand the unique challenges for the city.
• Children from abroad coming to live in Leicester would have access to a catch-up vaccination programme through schools and GPs.

AGREED:

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That comments made by members of this commission to be taken into account.

3)    Slides on Meningitis signs and symptoms could be circulated to the commission.

4)    The presentation which includes data on the rate of Meningitis vaccine uptake for 14/15 year-olds would be supplied to the commission.  

5)    That the Commission write to the  Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to request increased funding to promote vaccine coverage in the city.