NHS plans for online vaccine bookings

As reported by BBC News, in a bid to boost vaccination rates, NHS England plans to streamline jab bookings, allowing people to schedule routine vaccinations, including those for measles and HPV, through a mobile app or online within three years

NHS England said it wants to build on the Covid vaccination programme in order to increase uptake of other potentially life-saving jabs.

Currently, jabs other than for flu and Covid must be booked over the phone.

NHS England also wants to increase community outreach in areas where the take-up of some jabs is low.

Under the plans, jabs for 16 vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and human papillomavirus (HPV), will be available to book online by the end of 2026.

The new booking system will generate vaccination invitations and appointment alerts.

It will also allow people to view their, and their children’s, medical and vaccination records online.

NHS England’s chief executive Amanda Pritchard said she believed the rollout would “save even more lives”. She added that booking a jab would be made “as easy as booking a cab”, so that “millions more people can get vaccinated”.

Health Minister Maria Caulfield said the plans also aimed “to reach people who would not typically come forward for their jabs”.

Under the strategy, health professionals will undertake community work to improve “vaccine confidence”, following a drop in uptake of some vaccinations – including the MMR jab – in some areas.

Additionally, vaccines will be offered more widely in non-NHS settings, such as sports centres, shopping centres and people’s homes, NHS England said.

Prof Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, welcomed the plans. She said: “The link between uptake rates and vaccine confidence and accessibility is critical and I welcome this renewed focus by NHS England on innovative delivery approaches responding to local need.”

About nine in 10 children in England have received their pre-school immunisations, with flu vaccination rates among the highest in the world, NHS England said. However, this strategy is aimed at increasing rates still further.

Currently, more then 33 million people have signed up to the NHS app.

This autumn, so far 5.1 million NHS flu and Covid vaccines been booked in total online – 1.2 million via the app.