Routine adolescent immunisations slip during pandemic
Coverage for the childhood schedule, however, has remained unscathed by the disruption, researchers show
Adolescent vaccinations have dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, and GPs may have to take up the slack, an immunisation specialist says.
New figures show that, while the impact of COVID-19 on the childhood schedule was minimal in 2020, catch-up is needed for teen HPV and MenACWY inoculations.
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) annual report on immunisation coverage shows that, although HPV vaccination continues to creep higher, a growing proportion of 11-to-14-year-olds are still waiting for their second dose.
HPV vaccine coverage at age 15 rose to 80.5% for girls and 77.6% for boys in 2020, the report showed.
