Political Opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Vaccines - Let’s roll our sleeves up this winter

Last week I learnt about the value of vaccinations at ‘Westminster Vaccination Day’ hosted by experts from NHS England and the pharmaceutical industry.

Vaccinations have made a huge difference to healthcare outcomes, reducing mortality rates from infectious diseases in Europe by 59% since 1980, with immunisations having saved an estimated 6 lives every minute across the world for the past 50 years. These vaccines are protecting us from diseases that we once feared.

Not only have they improved personal outcomes, but they have relieved significant pressure on our NHS. It is thought that the health service saves around £400 million a year from some vaccination programmes. Continuing immunisation efforts will help to further alleviate the pressure that the NHS is under. For example, vaccinating older adults against respiratory conditions like flu could free up hospital beds for around 14,500 patients.

Overall, in Mid Sussex, we are performing better than England’s average for immunisation and often meeting – if not exceeding- the World Health Organisation’s targets.

However, there is still work to do to make sure that we and our loved ones are properly protected and our NHS is safeguarded. Healthcare workers within both the Sussex Community Trust and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust are less likely to be vaccinated against flu than the average across England, with this vaccine uptake rate falling short of the WHO’s target in our local area. Positively, however, over 70% of South East Coast Ambulance Service workers are vaccinated against flu, much higher than the 37.5% average across England.

Additionally, we need a greater push for uptake of the HPV vaccines among teenagers, as well as MMR for under-5s. These vaccinations are safe and will protect our children and young people from nasty diseases. With concerted efforts to get immunised by those who can, we can protect ourselves, as well as those who are unable to receive vaccinations.

Now we are approaching the end of October, it’s a good time to find out whether you are eligible for any free NHS vaccinations this winter. It’s easy to check and book on the NHS App, or you can find out more by visiting the NHS’s dedicated vaccination web page: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/