Does social deprivation correlate with meningococcal MenACWY, Hib/MenC and 4CMenB/Meningococcal Group B vaccine uptake in Northern Ireland?

CONCLUSIONS: Within the last two decades, incidence of meningococcal disease has been on the decline. The introduction of meningococcal vaccines has contributed to this decrease and uptake of such vaccines should remain a public health priority to maintain the decline in meningococcal disease. Identifying contributing factors to low vaccine uptake, such as, the association between local deprivation and uptake of meningococcal vaccines, should be of public health importance and acknowledged by local governments and policy makers in their efforts to enhance vaccine uptake, both infant and teenage vaccination. There is a clear correlation with educational deprivation measures such as absenteeism and poor educational attainment and reduced vaccine uptake, perhaps through lack of understanding and willingness to vaccinate. This is where the importance of a clear and coherent public health message surrounding meningococcal vaccination should be prioritised, particularly to establish innovative modalities in a multidisciplinary team approach, to reach out to and increase vaccine uptake rates in socially deprived communities in Northern Ireland.PMID:35169333 | PMC:PMC8835423
Source: The Ulster Medical Journal - Category: General Medicine Authors: Source Type: research