NHS vaccination strategy is set up to fail without a coherent public health agenda

AI Summary

The NHS vaccination strategy is facing criticism for inadequate coverage amid ongoing measles transmission in London. Experts suggest that a coherent public health agenda is crucial for improving vaccination rates.

Continued measles transmission in London will raise further questions about the capacity of the NHS vaccination strategy to improve coverage.1The parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee has branded the NHS vaccination strategy a “failure” that should be scrapped.23 We argue that the strategy is not failing but is being undermined by the absence of a coherent public health agenda to support delivery of its core aims. Annual 2024-25 vaccine coverage in England indicates some progress and recovery,45 but reversing England’s decade long downward trend in coverage requires time. Sustaining progress will depend on how the strategy is aligned with broader policy changes, systems reform, and spending cuts now under way.Undervaccination is closely linked to deprivation,6 making equitable improvements in coverage dependent on reducing child poverty and supporting parents to navigate the trade-offs they are forced to make. Removing the two child benefit cap,7 increasing health visitor numbers, and establishing a...