Vaccinations Resources

In November 2023, the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the introduction of a universal childhood varicella (chickenpox) vaccination programme. The vaccine will be administered as part of a combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine from 2026. This article explores the rationale for introducing the chickenpox vaccine in the UK, its potential public health impact, the possible implications for uptake of the MMR vaccine, and the role of nurses in supporting implementation. It describes the evidence from other countries which demonstrates significant reductions in varicella incidence, complications, and hospitalisations following vaccination, and the influence on the JCVI’s decision of updated cost-effectiveness modelling, reduced post-pandemic immunity, and public health alignment with international practice. It further discusses potential challenges, including public perceptions of necessity, the small risk of febrile seizures with MMRV, and the risk that vaccine hesitancy will affect MMR uptake.

In each issue of the Journal of General Practice Nursing, we investigate a topic currently affecting our readers.

It seems that the focus for many is now on potential Covid-19 vaccines, with people understandably seeing a potential end in sight to the current pandemic. It is worth celebrating the pivotal role that general practice nurses (GPNs) already play in delivering vaccine programmes to people throughout their lives. The majority of vaccine programmes in the UK are delivered in primary care or wider community settings, and GPNs are crucial to the successful delivery of these. Although most of the vaccines in the routine schedule (Public Health England [PHE], 2020a) are recommended to infants and children to provide protection against infections as soon as possible, vaccines remain necessary for people at all stages of their lives. Indeed, for many vaccines, people are never too old to have them. Thus, it is essential for nurses in general practice to make sure adults at all ages are protected throughout their lives.

A pre-travel consultation should be a complete health promotion exercise and not merely a matter of administering vaccines. It needs to involve a full risk assessment during which the individual, the journey and destination are examined for potential hazards. Risk management strategies then need to be discussed. Essentially, general practice nurses (GPNs) should facilitate the patient’s choice of interventions by educating them appropriately and allowing them to make informed choices. The traveller needs to leave the consultation aware of the potential risks of their trip and how to prevent or manage them. In order to do this well, GPNs should have sufficient time and access to online resources. This article looks at best practice in the pre-travel consultation.