Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
Home

Header Top Menu

  • News & Featured Stories
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Our Science

    Sub Menu 1

    • Pfizer in the UK
      • Our History
      • Pharmaceutical Sciences
      • Devices Centre of Excellence
      • Global Regulatory Affairs
      • Material Characterisation Team
      • Anti-Counterfeit Laboratory
    • Our Therapy Areas
      • Anti-Infectives
      • Inflammation and Immunology
      • Internal Medicine
      • Oncology
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccines

    Sub Menu 2

    • Developing New Medicines
      • Clinical Trials
      • Pipeline
    • Research partnerships
      • ADDoPT
      • Innovative Target Exploration Network (ITEN)
      • INSPIRE Programme
      • Medical Research Council Collaboration
      • The Stratified Medicine Programme
      • Partnership with Regeneron for UK Biobank exome sequencing
    • Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives
    Hot Topic

    Re-shaping Cancer

    Re-shaping cancer
  • Products

    Sub Menu 4

    • Prescription medicines

    Sub Menu 5

    • Safety of Medicines
      • Medicines Regulation
      • Reporting Side Effects
      • Counterfeit Medicines
    Hot Topic

    Vaccines partnerships

    Vaccines partnerships
  • Responsibility

    Sub Menu 7

    • Transparency
      • HCP & HCO Annual Disclosure Reports
      • Healthcare Organisation Grants
      • Research and Development Funding
      • Patient Organisation Funding and Support
    • Codes of Conduct
      • Gender Pay Gap Report
      • Section 172 Statements
      • Pfizer UK Modern Slavery Statement
      • Pfizer UK Tax Strategy

    Sub Menu 8

    • Environmental Sustainability
      • Climate Action
      • Global Actions
      • Our Partnerships & Commitments
      • Sustainable Medicines
      • UK Actions
    • Insurance Details
    • Animal Welfare
    Hot Topic

    Putting Patients First

    Putting Patients First
  • UK Society

    Sub Menu 10

    • Social Investment
      • Volunteering and Fundraising
      • Medicines Donations
    • Raising Public Awareness
      • Change the Course
      • Pfizer Sponsors Science Museum Group's 'Cancer Revolution' Exhibition
      • Pfizer Sponsors the Superhero Series
      • Pfizer sponsors Science Museum exhibition 'Superbugs'
      • Pfizer at the British Science Festival
      • Turning Heads at Westminster

    Sub Menu 11

    • Science Education
      • Developing Science Talent
      • 'Superbugs Join The Fight' School Programme
      • Online Learning
        • Student Education Area
        • Teacher Resources
      • Community Lab
      • Career Talks
      • Lab in a Box
    • Pfizer Worldwide
      • Global Health Fellows
      • Global Aid and Emergency Relief
      • International Trachoma Initiative
    Hot Topic

    'Superbugs' Competition Winners

    Superbugs Winners
  • UK Health System

    Sub Menu 16

    • Working with the NHS and other Healthcare Organisations
      • Collaborative Working
        • Collaborative Working Project between Lloyds Pharmacy and Pfizer Vaccines
        • Joint Working
      • Donations and Grants
        • Independent Medical Grants and Donations
        • Donations of Goods, Services and Benefit in Kind
        • Grants
        • Donations and Grants Enquiry Form
    • Working with Healthcare Professionals
      • FAQs: Working with Healthcare Professionals
      • Pharmacy
      • Healthcare Professionals Congress Sponsorship

    Sub Menu 17

    • Working with Patient Organisations
      • Patient Involvement in Research and Development
      • Our ongoing partnership with the UK Sepsis Trust
      • Partnering with the NIHR and young people on clinical research
    • Pfizer Healthcare Hub
      • Pfizer Healthcare Hub: 2018
      • Pfizer Healthcare Hub: 2017
      • Connect with the Hub
    Hot topic

    Osteoarthritis

    Osteoarthritis
  • News & Featured Stories
  • Media
  • Careers

    Carrers

    • Search Current Vacancies
    • Apprenticeships
      • Apprenticeship Vacancies
    • Undergraduate Placements
      • Undergraduate Vacancies
    • Meet our people
    • UK Top Employer
    • How Pfizer is fostering meaningful growth for every colleague, everywhere
  • Contact Us
  • Footer links

    Footer mobile menu

    • Footer Menu
    • Footer menu
      • Contact Us
      • Cookie Policy
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap
    • Footer social item
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      • YouTube

Increasing vaccination uptake is a priority that must not be overlooked

Increasing vaccination uptake is a priority that must not be overlooked
News & Featured Stories/ Increasing vaccination uptake is a priority that must not be overlooked
15/10/2020

Pfizer Vaccines
Pfizer UK

At this moment in time we face an unprecedented challenge to the nation’s health. With winter flu season almost upon us, and a health system that is pulling out all the stops to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic whilst continuing to deliver the care our nation needs, the challenge this year is perhaps more critical than ever before.

 

The health and wealth of our nation depends on getting the response to this right. While the Government has taken important steps to build resilience this winter, making more people eligible for the flu vaccination programme for example,1 more can be done to protect our nation from other preventable diseases and ease the burden on the NHS.

Prevention is key. Currently, 60% of healthcare funding is spent on cure and rehabilitation, versus only 5% on prevention.2 Now is the time to rebalance and recognise that greater investment in keeping people well will release significant socio-economic benefits,3,4  – both saving lives and money.5

Vaccination should be at the core of a UK prevention strategy. Coronavirus has brought to the fore the importance of vaccines in preventing the spread of infectious disease, but we’re failing to realise the full benefits of the range of vaccines already available to us – and they’re not just for children. Adult vaccination – whether for respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and flu or diseases such as shingles – is a tried and trusted way to help protect our most vulnerable.6

Last year in England, only one in eight (12.9%) 65-year olds were immunised against pneumococcal disease.7 Similarly, in other ‘at risk’ groups, for patients aged between 2 – 65 years uptake was as low as one in ten for those with illnesses such as chronic liver disease.6 Yet we know that protecting adults against pneumococcal disease saves lives.8 The World Health Organization has this winter restated the importance of vaccinating adults against respiratory diseases such as pneumococcal infections,9 and it is critical that we follow suit to raise awareness of the value that vaccines can deliver for people, the NHS and the economy. 

With winter flu season almost upon us the challenge this year is perhaps more critical than ever before." 

Making the most of today’s vaccines is an opportunity too important to miss. The public is more switched on to what it means to be healthy than ever before and now we must work together to make sure all corners of our community can access the vaccines they need.

Pfizer’s recently published ‘VacciNation’ paper highlights some of the ideas we have developed to help us achieve this. We are calling for a new pan-industry national leadership forum for vaccines to be created – potentially led by the new National Institute for Health Protection – to drive action on vaccination and provide a coordinated and strategic approach to maximise the gains of vaccine innovation.

In addition, there are other simple, clear steps we could be taking now, like setting clear targets for adult vaccination to put them on a par with childhood vaccination. Increased use of alternative providers, such as community pharmacy, could also lighten the load elsewhere in the system, improve access and address unintended barriers – making it easier to target hard-to-reach socio-economic or cultural groups. And more broadly, we could implement lessons learnt from COVID-19 and upgrade our call and recall system, using innovative technology and data and more effective communications to empower individuals to take greater ownership of their health.

Moreover, we all have a role to play in tackling misinformation and raising awareness. A targeted information campaign – aimed at the public and healthcare professionals – could remind people of the benefits of, and build confidence in, adult vaccinations.

Vaccination should be central to creating a more resilient Britain. While a public better protected from disease – regardless of age – is within our reach, we will only make the most of today’s vaccines if we work together to overcome existing barriers and level up access. Here at Pfizer, we stand ready and willing to play our part.

 

References

  1. DHSC. Press Release. Most comprehensive flu programme in UK history will be rolled out this winter Accessed Nov 2021
  2. DHSC. Prevention is better than cure: Our vision to help you live well for longer Accessed Nov 2021
  3. DHSC. Annual report and accounts 2018-19 Accessed Nov 2021
  4. DHSC. Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2007 Accessed Nov 2021
  5. Quilici S, Smith R, et al. Role of vaccination in economic growth Accessed Nov 2021
  6. Royal Society for Public Health. Moving the needle Accessed Nov 2021
  7. Public Health England. Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV) coverage report, England, April 2019 to March 2020 Accessed Nov 2021
  8. NHS. Pneumococcal vaccine overview Accessed October 2020
  9. World Health Organisation. Infection prevention and control guidance for long term care facilities in the context of COVID-19 Accessed Nov 2021

 

PP-PFE-GBR-4222 / November 2021

Related Hot Topics
AMR Reimbursement Pilot Launch
World First Cross-Industry Initiative Launches in the Continued Fight Against…
What is a Variant
What is a Variant?
COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
Working To Reach Everyone, Everywhere
VacciNation report
VacciNation: tackling health inequalities across England
Patients at heart of clinical trials
Why putting patients at the heart of Pfizer UK’s clinical trials continues to…
Infection Management Coalition Paper
Cross-Industry Coalition Tackling ‘Hidden Pandemic’ of Antibiotic Resistant…
Maternal Immunisation
Protecting Babies from Inside the Womb
Blueprint for gene therapy adoption
Pfizer UK launch blueprint for the UK adoption of cell and gene therapies
Tags
COVID-19
UK Health System
Vaccines

Footer

  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

Footer aside

  • Footer Aside
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

Copyright © 2017-2022 Pfizer Limited. PP-PFE-GBR-4248 / Nov 2021. All rights reserved. Registered in England and Wales No. 526209. Registered office: Ramsgate Road, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9NJ. VAT No. GB201048427