Research and analysis

HPR volume 11 issue 27: news (4 August)

Updated 15 December 2017

1. Analysis of vaccine uptake during third year of schools-based flu vaccine programme published

A full analysis of data on seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in primary-school age children during the winter of 2015 to 2016 has been published by PHE [1].

The report covers the third year of the progressive roll-out of the paediatric vaccination programme that started in 2013 to 2014 in the UK and that will eventually cover all children from 2 to 6 years of age and the report specifically focuses on children of school age.

The new report describes and reports on the cumulative uptake of influenza vaccine in primary-school age children during 2015 to 2016 with a focus on the results from the final end-of-season data submitted to PHE at school-level in April 2016. The school-level data presented in the report include analysis on consents, refusals, contraindications and population-level ecological predictors of low vaccine uptake.

The overall uptake in school years 1 and 2 was 55.1% in those areas where the school delivery model was used and 30.1% in those areas where the alternative, primary care or pharmacy delivery model was used.

There was significant evidence of reduced uptake associated with increased deprivation and with ethnicity.

1.1 Reference

1. PHE (August 2017). Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in children of primary school age, winter season 2015 to 2016: end of season report.

2. Zika guidance updated to focus on pregnant women, their partners and couples planning pregnancy

In March 2017, in conjunction with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) published a revised Zika country classification scheme [1]. In view of this, PHE and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) have reviewed their Zika virus guidance, which takes account of recent updates in global epidemiology, increased understanding of the virus and the spectrum of disease it can cause [2].

Travel recommendations in the revised PHE and NaTHNaC guidance continues to use the same high, moderate or low-risk ratings for countries as before; and the underlying travel advisories for pregnant women travelling to countries or areas with these risk ratings have not changed. However, the ratings for some countries have changed; this takes account of the considerable reduction in Zika transmission in many countries globally compared to the peak of the outbreak in 2015 to 2016. The rating of a number of countries has therefore been lowered from high risk to moderate risk. This also reflects the reduction in travel-associated cases reported in the UK (14 in 2017, as of 26 July, compared to 99 cases reported in the same period in 2016).

Pregnant women are advised to postpone non-essential travel to areas of high risk and to consider postponing non-essential travel to areas of moderate risk. There is no specific travel advisory for pregnant women to low-risk areas.

Full details of all the countries or areas at risk are available in the country A to Z listing on the PHE website.

Advice on preventing sexual transmission of Zika has been revised to specifically focus on pregnant women, their partners and couples planning pregnancy. This will ensure that the advice on the use of barrier measures (for example condoms) and avoiding conception are targeted to those for whom the implications of sexual transmission of ZIKV are greatest.

Zika testing is not offered in the UK to those who do not have symptoms consistent with Zika virus infection. It is therefore important for couples planning pregnancy to be aware of the risks of Zika virus infection and to take the appropriate preventive measures.

Country-specific advice on Zika is available on the NaTHNaC website and all detailed guidance can be accessed on the Zika pages of the PHE website.

2.1 References

1. WHO (March 2017). Zika virus country classification scheme (Interim guidance - WHO/ZIKV/SUR/17.1).
2. NaTHNaC (3 August 2017). Zika virus – update and advice for travellers.

3. Infection reports in this issue

The following respiratory infections report was published in this issue:

• Laboratory reports of respiratory infections made to PHE from PHE and NHS laboratories in England and Wales: weeks 27 to 30, 2017.