Managing childhood vaccination clinics during COVID-19: risks and solutions
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Managing childhood vaccination clinics during COVID-19: risks and solutions

Helen Donovan Professional Lead for Public Health Nursing, Royal College of Nursing, London, England
Helen Bedford Professor of Children’s Health, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To be aware of the challenges faced by general practice nurses (GPNs) in maintaining the national immunisation programme during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • To recognise the vital role of GPNs in promoting childhood vaccinations to parents

  • To identify practical strategies to ensure the safe and effective running of childhood vaccination clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and the systems and processes put in place to minimise the spread of infection have left many services, including vaccination clinics, struggling with how best to cope. It is imperative that vaccination programmes continue, as without them there is a risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease that would compound the situation and increase strain on health and care systems. This article outlines practical considerations to make sure childhood vaccination clinics continue and that parents are supported to have their children immunised.

Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2020.e1690

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

helen.donovan@rcn.org.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Donovan H, Bedford H (2020) Managing childhood vaccination clinics during COVID-19: risks and solutions. Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2020.e1690

Published online: 30 September 2020

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