London seasonal influenza bulletin
9 January 2014
The pan-London seasonal influenza implementation steering group aims to ensure that all
relevant organisations are kept up-to-date with developments around seasonal flu in London.
This bulletin is jointly produced by Public Health England and NHS England (London) to
ensure that key messages and communications are aligned across all boroughs and that we
are taking a joined-up approach to delivering the seasonal flu programme. It provides
summary information on the incidence of flu, supply of flu vaccine, levels of vaccine uptake,
and other matters of interest.
Please share this bulletin with your teams.
Key points:
Low flu levels provide an excellent opportunity to vaccinate those still at risk
The low levels of influenza-like illnesses currently circulating provide an opportunity to
vaccinate all those at-risk individuals and others who are yet to have their vaccinations.
Uptake levels are similar to those at the same time last year so there are still large
numbers of people who are not protected. Please make sure you use the remaining time
available to call or recall all those who haven’t yet, made an appointment for their flu
vaccination ensuring that they don’t miss the opportunity to be protected against flu.
In particular, nurses and midwives are encouraged to ensure that pregnant women have
had their vaccinations because catching flu in pregnancy can be very serious for both
mother and baby.
We are planning for next year’s seasonal flu programme and the year after’s If you have
any lessons learnt to help inform our planning, please email immunisationsubmissions.london@nhs.net.
1. Flu activity - rates of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI)
2. Vaccine supply
3. Vaccine uptake
4. Commissioning
5. Winter pressures
6. National children’s flu pilots for primary school-aged children
7. Communications
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Contacts
NHS England (London): Thara Raj Seasonal Influenza Lead: immunisation-submissions.london@nhs.net
PHE (London): Viv Cleary Influenza Lead: Vivien.Cleary@PHE.gov.uk
15.
16.
Contacts
NHS England (London): Thara Raj Seasonal Influenza Lead: immunisation-submissions.london@nhs.net
PHE (London): Viv Cleary Influenza Lead: Vivien.Cleary@PHE.gov.uk
1. Communications
No communications activity to update.
17. Further information and web links
Contacts
NHS England (London): Thara Raj Seasonal Influenza Lead: immunisation-submissions.london@nhs.net
PHE (London): Viv Cleary Influenza Lead: Vivien.Cleary@PHE.gov.uk
2. Flu activity - rates of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI)
According to the PHE GP In Hours Syndromic Surveillance System, influenza-like illness
(ILI) GP consultations rates in England increased in the past week; 4.7 per 100,000 in week
52 to 8.1 in week 1. ILI consultation rates in London increased in the past week; 6.2 per
100,000 in week 52 to 10.8 in week 1.
London Weekly Flu
Bullletin Week 2.pdf
National influenza like illness and uptake rates by risk groups are published weekly and the
latest can be found at:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1287147913271
3. Vaccine supply
There are currently no supply issues that we are aware of and therefore no established
reason for GP practices in London to access the Public Health England national reserve. If
this situation changes we will let you know in this weekly London seasonal flu bulletin. A list
of manufacturers with stocks available can be found on page 20 in the national seasonal flu
letter:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/207008/13061
3_Flu_Letter_v_29_Gateway_GW_signed.pdf
Arrangements for ordering any remaining Fluenz vaccine needed for two- and threeyear-old children
Fluenz was available to order on the ImmForm website until Tuesday 7 January 2014. It will
now not be available to order, due to it expiring on 15 January 2014.
Fluenz has a limited shelf-life and, like all vaccines, needs to be used before it exceeds its
expiry date. Fluenz already supplied for the children’s programme for two- and three-yearolds has expiry dates of 18, 23 and 24 December 2013, 13, 14, 15 and 16 January 2014,
and 5 February 2014.
So, please ensure you check the vaccine is within its expiry date before using it.
Please contact vaccinesupply@phe.gov.uk if you have any questions or concerns.
4. Vaccine uptake
Seasonal Flu vaccination uptake (At risk groups) – Week 1
SeasonalFluWeek1Fo
rFluBulletin.pptx
Source: Immform.
The NHS England (London region) seasonal flu tracker can be viewed in the attached Excel
document. It shows seasonal flu uptake data in at risk groups broken down by London
Contacts
NHS England (London): Thara Raj Seasonal Influenza Lead: immunisation-submissions.london@nhs.net
PHE (London): Viv Cleary Influenza Lead: Vivien.Cleary@PHE.gov.uk
Clinical Commissioning Group. The tracker shows uptake in sentinel GP practices (selected
GP practices) and now includes the data from monthly all GP practice survey and HCW
uptake provider survey from Immform.
SeasonalFluVaccine_
TrackerDashboard_Psuedo.xlsm
ImmForm data returns (a mandatory public health surveillance system)
Requests for passwords to access the ImmForm website or changes to organisation codes,
contacts etc. or technical issues concerning the ImmForm website should be emailed to
helpdesk@immform.org.uk
5. Commissioning
NHS England has commissioned services to offer the following at risk groups the seasonal
flu jab:
•
those aged 65 and over
•
children and adults in clinical ‘at risk’ groups (see Green Book)
•
pregnant women including those in ‘at risk’ groups
•
carers
The NHS England (London region) immunisation commissioning team is continuing to
contact ‘outliers’ (those providers whose vaccine uptake data is very low or very high) to find
out why and to either discuss recovery plans or to learn from good practice so this can be
shared with others.
NHS England (London region) has organised monthly flu sit rep meetings with CCG flu
contacts. This provides a forum to discuss and flu vaccine uptake performance in NHS
Trusts (which CCGs commission) and primary care (which NHS England commission) and
set priorities.
6. Winter pressures
NHS England has published its weekly update on how the NHS is handling winter pressures,
giving the public better information than has previously been available.
Contacts
NHS England (London): Thara Raj Seasonal Influenza Lead: immunisation-submissions.london@nhs.net
PHE (London): Viv Cleary Influenza Lead: Vivien.Cleary@PHE.gov.uk
Advice on how the public can help themselves keep well will be given throughout the winter.
See NHS England’s winter health check for the latest position on A&E, winter pressures
and influenza.
Also see Winter Pressures releases and PHE Winter Health Watch
Key messages for frontline health and social care workers include:
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The impact of flu on frail and vulnerable patients, in communities, care homes and in
hospitals, can be fatal.
Getting vaccinated against flu can help protect you and your family.
Even if you are asymptomatic you can still pass on flu to patients.
Having the flu vaccination can be a powerful message to colleagues and patients.
Further information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flu-vaccination-increasing-uptake-byhealth-and-social-care-workers
NHS Employers ‘flu fighter’ campaign:
http://www.nhsemployers.org/HealthyWorkplaces/StaffFluVaccination/Pages/season
al-flu-campaign.aspx
Flu fighter award – final chance
Please submit a nomination –see flu fighter awards page to see the judging criteria and
download our nomination form. The closing date for nominations is Thursday 16 January
2014.
7. National children’s flu pilots for primary school-aged children
There are two geographical pilot sites based in London, which are in Newham and Havering.
Both sites have been delivering flu vaccinations in primary schools situated in their boroughs
as well as providing community clinic options. Evaluation reports from the pilot sites will
inform the future roll-out of the national extension to the flu vaccination programme.
New published research
Dr Mark Spencer, NHS England (London Region) highlights a recently published article
about seasonal flu in pregnant women that shows that it's not just a safe vaccine for
pregnant women but that the vaccine contributes to good outcomes for both mother and
child. Legge, A., Dodds, L., MacDonald, N., Scott, J and McNeil, S (2014). Rates and
determinants of seasonal influenza vaccination in pregnancy and association with
neonatal outcomes. CMAJ, doi: 10.1503/cmaj.130499 which can be found at the website
link below.
http://m.cmaj.ca/content/early/2014/01/06/cmaj.130499
Contacts
NHS England (London): Thara Raj Seasonal Influenza Lead: immunisation-submissions.london@nhs.net
PHE (London): Viv Cleary Influenza Lead: Vivien.Cleary@PHE.gov.uk
8. Communications
No communications activity to update.
9. Further information and web links
Public Health England publishes its detailed weekly flu report every Thursday
afternoon. It can be viewed at:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/SeasonalInfluenza/Epidemiol
ogicalData/03influsweeklyreportpdfonly/
The list of community pharmacies that are part of this year’s NHS seasonal flu
scheme in London is available here:
https://www.myhealth.london.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/u1217/List%20of%20pharmacies%20l
ondon%20flu%2003%20Oct%202013.pdf
Copies of the NHS England (London) authorised Patient Group Directions (PGDs) for
seasonal flu and Fluenz® can be found here:
http://www.lmc.org.uk/article.php?group_id=9586
Guidance on how to improve seasonal flu vaccine uptake amongst frontline health
and social care workers:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flu-vaccination-increasing-uptake-by-healthand-social-care-workers
NHS Employers ‘flu fighter’ campaign:
http://www.nhsemployers.org/HealthyWorkplaces/StaffFluVaccination/Pages/seasonal-flucampaign.aspx
Seasonal flu vaccine uptake amongst frontline health care workers in London in
2012/13:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/245605/Seaso
nal_Influenza_Vaccine_Uptake_HCWs_2012_13.pdf
Joint letter from DH, NHS England, and Public Health England asking that the NHS and
local authorities work to improve flu vaccination uptake rates amongst health and social care
workers in order to protect their patients/ clients, themselves and their colleagues from flu:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/244941/13_09
_25_-_Seasonal_flu_letter_on_HCW_FINAL.pdf
Clinical evidence and rationale for seasonal flu vaccine amongst frontline workers
can be found here:
http://www.nhsemployers.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Flu_clinicalevidence2013.pdf
Q&As for Health Professionals on flu vaccine and porcine gelatine can be found here:
Contacts
NHS England (London): Thara Raj Seasonal Influenza Lead: immunisation-submissions.london@nhs.net
PHE (London): Viv Cleary Influenza Lead: Vivien.Cleary@PHE.gov.uk
Q&A.pdf
The Green Book chapter online:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/influenza-the-green-book-chapter-19
Fluenz online video:
A video for health professionals on how to administer the vaccine produced by NHS
Education for Scotland is also available.
Excess Winter Mortality in England and Wales, (provisional) 2012/13 and 2011/12
(final)
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health2/excess-winter-mortality-in-england-andwales/2012-13--provisional--and-2011-12--final-/stb-ewm-12-13.html
Vaccine update
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaccine-update-issue-210-december-2013--2.
The Cold Weather Plan for England
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cold-weather-plan-for-england-2013
Excess Winter Mortality 2012/13
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/excess-winter-mortality-2012-to-2013
Keep Warm Keep Well booklet
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/254859/Keep_
Warm_Keep_Well_2013_WEB_FINAL.pdf
Contacts
NHS England (London): Thara Raj Seasonal Influenza Lead: immunisation-submissions.london@nhs.net
PHE (London): Viv Cleary Influenza Lead: Vivien.Cleary@PHE.gov.uk