Screening and Vaccinations Among Children and Young People

This topic area covers statistics and information relating to screening and vaccinations among children and young people in Hull including local strategic need and service provision. Further information relating to screening and vaccinations among adults is given under Prevention within Adults. Further information relating to the uptake rate of the COVID-19 vaccination can be found within Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Health Factors under Adults.

This page contains information from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips. Information is taken ‘live’ from the site so uses the latest available data from Fingertips and displays it on this page. As a result, some comments on this page may relate to an earlier period of time until this page is next updated (see review dates at the end of this page).

Headlines

• Almost all (99.6%) of newborn babies had their hearing screening test in Hull during 2020/21.
• It is estimated that vaccines prevent up to three million deaths worldwide every year. Since vaccines were introduced to the UK, diseases like smallpox, polio and tetanus that used to kill or disable millions of people are either gone or seen very rarely.
• The vaccine uptake rate for 12 routine vaccinations given to children at ages one, two and five vary in Hull from 90% to 95%. and are generally higher than England, although generally fall short of the target rate of 95%. The vaccines given to the younger ages tend to have higher uptake rates relative to those vaccines given at older ages. Uptake of the flu vaccine is also lower in Hull compared to England.
• Among looked after children, the rate of uptake of vaccinations was considerably lower in Hull compared to England (51% versus 86% during 2021).
• In 2018/19, 84% of females aged 12-13 years received their first dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and 77% of females aged 13-14 years received their second dose of the HPV vaccine. The percentages were lower than England (88% and 84% respectively). However, during 2019/20, no young person aged 12-13 years in Hull received their HPV vaccine and only 30% of females aged 13-14 years received their HPV second vaccine dose. IntraHealth, who were commissioned to undertake the vaccinations, were also commissioned to undertake the flu vaccinations among primary school children. They completed the flu vaccination programme over winter 2019/20, and the intention was then for them undertake the HPV vaccination programme in schools. However, with the first lockdown for COVID-19 at the end of March 2020 and schools being closed to most pupils until September 2020, they could not start this programme. A catch-up programme is available for these children.
• The vaccination rate for Meningococcal ACWY conjugate among 14-15 year olds is slightly lower in Hull compared to England (80% versus 81% for 2020/21).
• Previous analyses of uptake rates using local data revealed substantial differences across Hull.

The Population Affected – Why Is It Important?

There are a number of screening programmes in place in the UK relating to antenatal and newborn. Tests in pregnancy and in the newborn after birth are designed to help make the pregnancy safer, check and assess the development and wellbeing of the woman and her baby, and screen for particular conditions. However, data relating to uptake rates for screening of pregnant women are only available for England and for each region and not available at local authority level. Uptake rates are also not available at local authority level for the physical examination of infants after birth or the infant ‘blood spot’ screening, although information is available for the infant hearing test.

Specific vaccines are offered to children, young people, pregnant women, older people and other adults with specific long-term health conditions.  All children are offered vaccines against key diseases to prevent them getting serious diseases that can kill or cause long-term health consequences. A small number of vaccines are just offered to a selected group of children and adults who are at risk owing to their personal circumstances.

For certain vaccinations, generally only one dose or a small number of doses are required and for others the vaccination is required every year (such as for influenza). The majority of the vaccinations given in childhood require one or a small number of doses over time and last a long time or a lifetime, although boosters are sometimes given such as a tetanus vaccination following an injury which could result in an infection.

Where sufficient numbers of people have the vaccine, it can also prevent the disease spreading in the community, and sometimes even gets rid of diseases in the community entirely. This is important for the small number of people who cannot have a vaccine for other health reasons.

It is estimated that vaccines prevent up to three million deaths worldwide every year. Since vaccines were introduced to the UK, diseases like smallpox, polio and tetanus that used to kill or disable millions of people are either gone or seen very rarely. Other diseases like measles and diphtheria have been reduced by up to 99.9% since their vaccines were introduced.

Vaccination and immunisation are often used interchangeable, but are different. Vaccination is the process of introducing the vaccination and immunisation is what is achieved.

The Hull Picture

Screening

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips presents data on the percentage uptake of the infant hearing screening test. In 2020/21, almost all of newborn babies in Hull had their hearing screening test, which is the highest percentage across the region and higher than England.

Between 2013/14 and 2020/21, the percentage uptake in Hull has been consistently higher than England and the region. The lowest rate in Hull at 99.4% is higher than the highest rate across England and the region (both at 99.2% for 2018/19).

Vaccinations Among Looked After Children

Fingertips also presents the percentage of children in care who have received their vaccinations. Only half of looked after children had their immunisations in 2021 compared to 86% for England.

Between 2014 and 2017, the percentage uptake of vaccinations among children in care in Hull was comparable to England, but has since fallen substantially in Hull between 2017 and 2021.

Vaccinations At Age 1

Children aged one year are should be vaccinated for diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP), inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), meningococcal group B vaccine (MenB), rotavirus, and pneumococcal vaccine (PCV). Babies should also receive the vaccination for hepatitis B (HepB) if their mothers have hepatitis B. This applies to a small number of babies so the information is not presented for all local authorities due to small numbers.

Hull’s vaccination uptake rates are generally comparable or better than the national average, although are below the national target of 95%.

In general, the uptake rates fell in Hull between 2016/17 and 2018/19 and then increased in 2019/20. Between 2019/20 and 2020/21, the uptake rates fell for diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis, inactivated polio vaccine and Haemophilus influenzae type B and meningococcal group B vaccine, but increased for rotavirus, and the pneumococcal vaccine. The numbers of babies eligible for the hepatitis B vaccine in Hull is low and there is considerable year-on-year variability associated with the uptake rate (see Small Numbers).

Vaccinations At Age 2

Children aged two years are should be vaccinated for diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP), inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal vaccine (PCV), measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), and have boosters for Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) and Meningococcal C (MenC), and for meningococcal group B vaccine (MenB). Children aged two years should also receive the vaccination for hepatitis B (HepB) if their mothers have hepatitis B. This applies to a small number of children so the information is not presented for all local authorities due to small numbers.

Uptake of all these universal vaccinations among two year olds in 2020/21 in Hull was higher than 92% and higher than England, but lower than the target of 95% (with the exception of diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis, inactivated polio vaccine and Haemophilus influenzae type B).

Vaccination rates tended to fall in Hull between 2016/17 and 2018/19, but in most cases have recovered by 2020/21 so that the ongoing trajectory in 2016/17 was maintained. However, in the case of diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis, inactivated polio vaccine and Haemophilus influenzae type B, the uptake rate between 2020/11 and 2016/17 was higher in Hull compared to the region, but in 2020/21, the rate was comparable to the region but not higher. Four of the seven children aged two years who were eligible for the hepatitis B vaccine had it during 2020/21.

Vaccinations At Age 5

Children aged five years are should have a booster vaccination for diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), and two doses of vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

Hull’s vaccination uptake rates in 2020/21 were better than England particularly so for the diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis and inactivated polio vaccine booster, and the second dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations which were around 3-4 percentage points higher in Hull.

As with one and two year olds, vaccination rates tended to fall among five year olds in Hull between 2016/17 and 2018/19 in some cases quite markedly, but have increased in 2019/20.

Vaccinations At Ages 12-15

Young people aged 12-13 years (Year 8 in school) and aged 13-14 years should be vaccinated for human papillomavirus (HPV) in two doses. The vaccination programme has recently been extended from females to both females and males.

Young people aged 14-15 years are also offered the Meningococcal ACWY conjugate vaccine (for groups A, C, W and Y).

In contrast to vaccinations undertaken among the under fives, vaccination uptake rates among teenagers are generally lower than England. The uptake rates for HPV in Hull for 2019/20 and 2020/21 are particularly low, but the vaccine uptake rate for the Meningococcal ACWY conjugate in Hull is comparable to England for 2020/21.

No young person aged 12-13 years and relatively few aged 13-14 year received their HPV vaccine during 2019/20. IntraHealth who were commissioned to undertake the vaccinations were also commissioned to undertake the flu vaccinations among all primary school children in Hull. They completed this over winter 2019/20, and the intention was then for them undertake the HPV vaccination programme in schools. However, with the first lockdown for COVID-19 at the end of March 2020 and schools being closed to most pupils until September 2020, they could not start this programme. A catch-up programme is available for these children so they will have been vaccinated during the 2020/21 school year. However, this has meant that those children (who are now aged 13-14 years) have not been able to have their second dose during 2020/21 so the uptake rate among 13-14 year olds in 2020/21 is zero.

The uptake rate for the he Meningococcal ACWY conjugate vaccine (for groups A, C, W and Y) has been statistically significantly lower in Hull than England between 2016/17 and 2019/20. However, the rate increased between 2019/20 and 2020/21, and the rate in Hull is only slightly below the rate in England.