Pharmacy sector calls for meningitis jabs after outbreak
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Calls are out to commission pharmacies to deliver catch-up meningitis vaccinations after an outbreak of meningitis caused two deaths and eleven hospitalisations in Kent.
The NHS should “urgently commission pharmacies to provide a catch-up vaccination service for teenagers who did not receive their MenACWY immunisations, as well as commissioning pharmacies to support NHS colleagues with wider childhood vaccinations,” said NPA chair Olivier Picard.
Pharmacies are “already seeing an uptick in patients contacting them to book MenACWY and MENB vaccinations” he added, and that the NPA also anticipates this “demand will continue to grow.”
“We must do all we can to prevent these outbreaks starting in the first place and the NHS should listen to the body of evidence that suggests pharmacies are a key way to tackle a growing and alarming drop off in vaccination rates among children, “ he said.
“Evidence suggests using pharmacies in other NHS vaccination campaigns increases uptake, particularly in more deprived communities”.
Read more: Flu vaccine eligibility unchanged as start dates announced
CCA chief executive, Malcolm Harrison, said NHS England “must commission pharmacies to deliver vaccines for adolescents and young adults” which “ includes the 3-in-1 teenage booster and Meningitis ACWY.”
“Pharmacies can provide these vaccines for those who miss doses, thus prioritising prevention, increasing uptake rates, and freeing up GP appointments,” he added.
Symptoms
Earlier this month the CCA wrote to the Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) imploring it to “harness” community pharmacy to help vaccine uptake.
The group also called on integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS England (NHSE) to “commission by age cohort rather than vaccination programme”.
Read more: Plans for ICBs to commission vaccines delayed by a year
And IPA CEO, Dr Leyla Hannbeck, said it was “essential” that authorities “fully utilise the capacity neighbourhood pharmacies can bring.”
“Whilst most young children will have had the Meningitis B vaccine as part of childhood immunisation since 2015, many teenagers and young adults will not have this vital protection,” she said.
“Pharmacists are available on local high-streets to offer professional, personal advice – especially on what symptoms to look out for.”
At risk
The NHS and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are currently “arranging antibiotics for some students in the Canterbury area” to protect young people who may be at risk.
The cases were reported to the UKHSA over the weekend, with the agency “interviewing affected individuals and their families to help identify all close contacts and arrange antibiotics to limit spread”.
The UKHSA also warned that “occasionally, the meningococcal bacteria can cause serious illness”.
Read more: Flu jabs: Pharmacy sector ‘ready’ to respond to GP warning
This can lead to “inflammation of the lining of the brain” and “septicaemia”, which quickly causes “sepsis”.
Meningitis can have a “sudden” development, with the UKHSA stressing that “early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital”.
The “specific strain” of meningococcal disease has not been identified yet, but “the MenACWY vaccination gives good protection against MenA, MenC, MenW, and MenY”.
NHS England debuted MenB vaccinations on September 1st, 2015, which were offered to all babies born on or after 1 July 2015.
Measles
The latest call comes after pharmacies in Enfield were used “to communicate the importance of vaccination” during the recent measles outbreak earlier this year.
At a March 9 London Assembly Health Committee hearing, the director of public health for Enfield Dudu Sher-Arami said that a letter had been sent to families with school children in Enfield to “advise them about signs, symptoms and that vaccination was the most effective way of preventing measles”.
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