ST Helens Council need to “get a lot better” at immunising children for influenza, the authority’s director of public health has said.

The flu vaccination programme is nationally commissioned by NHS England and runs each year from the beginning of September to the end of March.

A new council report reveals that the performance for 2017-18 was better than 2016-17 in all categories apart from under 65s with at risk conditions.

It says that while performance is better and within the target range for those aged two and three, there is still improvements required to hit the top end of the target.

In 2017-18, 44 per cent of two-year olds received flu vaccinations, while 45.6 per cent of three-year-olds received vaccinations.

The national target for this age group is 40-60 per cent.

Sue Forster, the council’s director of public health, told the People’s Board this week the 2017-18 vaccination programme was “positive” for St Helens.

However, she said there is still  “work to do”, especially in the under 65s and preschool vaccinations.

“The reason school children are such an important group to vaccinate is because they are super spreaders,” Ms Forster said.

“So, we do need to get a lot better at that.”

The council did improve vaccination levels for school age children, improving on last year’s percentage in reception (68.6 per cent); Year 1 (66.7 per cent); Year 2 (64.9 per cent); and Year 3 (63.9 per cent).

The council also began vaccinating Year 4 pupils (62.9 per cent). The national target for school age children is 40-60 per cent.

Vaccination levels were above the national 75 per cent target for over 65s (76 per cent), with council leader Derek Long saying this was a “fantastic outcome”.

However, the under 65s with at risk conditions was down to 49.9 per cent against a national target of 55 per cent.

Vaccinations for pregnant women (51.7 per cent) was up on last year but did not meet the national target of 55 per cent.

The flu vaccination programme is delivered through several providers including GPs, local pharmacies, schools, antenatal care and other settings such as specialist substance misuse providers.

Ms Forster said: “So it’s quite a complex programme that we need to make sure we deliver really effectively.

“But overall it seems that St Helens are on the ball and that’s the feedback I’m getting from NHS England and Public Health England.”

Kevin Hardy, consultant physician and medical director at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, informed the board about vaccination levels with the trust.

He said: “This year NHS Improvement, which is our regulator, are taking a much firmer line with hospitals in England about flu vaccinations and are really pressing for levels approaching 100 per cent.

“To the extent that they are suggesting staff who refuse to get vaccinated or don’t get vaccinated in certain critical areas should be moved out of all consideration and begin to move people out of those areas.”

Dr Hardy called it a real “step change” in terms of the approach from NHS England.

The People’s Board noted the report.