Key Summary
- Government to bring vaccines to doorsteps of families who can’t make it to the doctor
- New pilot will reach families facing barriers like travel costs, language difficulties, or vaccine hesitancy
- The pilot will be evaluated before rolling it out across the country in 2027
In its fight against health inequalities, the government is rolling out a £2 million pilot to offer vaccinations to children who might otherwise miss out on this vital life-saving protection.
The year-long pilot will begin from mid-January and target families who have not signed up with a GP, and face challenges such as travel costs, childcare juggling, language barriers, or vaccine hesitancy.
The government will start twelve pilot schemes across five regions of England - London, the Midlands, North East & Yorkshire, North West, and South West.
They will be evaluated before rolling it out across the country in 2027.
The healthcare teams, comprising specialist public health nurses, will offer vaccinations to the children during routine health visits.
They will be trained to tackle tricky conversations with worried parents - including those who have doubts about vaccination - and to give vaccinations safely.
They will also advise families on healthy child development, feeding, and family health.
The struggling families will be identified by the NHS using GP records, health visitor notes and local databases.
The pilots form part of the commitment to ramp up vaccination programmes, with over 18 million flu vaccines delivered this autumn - hundreds of thousands more compared to this time last year - and over 60,000 more NHS staff also getting their jab.
The government is also investing in better digital services to help families track their child’s health and vaccinations.
Parents will be able to monitor their children’s health using My Children on the NHS app, a digital alternative to the Red Book.
The pilot builds on the government’s commitment to Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, which provide vital support for families during pregnancy and the early years of a child’s life.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said, "Every parent deserves the chance to protect their child from preventable diseases, but some families have a lot going on and that can mean they miss out."
He said the pilot tackles health inequalities head-on. "By meeting families where they are, we’re not just boosting vaccination rates - we’re building a health service that works for everyone," he added.
Chickenpox vaccines
From 2 January, children will receive the new MMRV vaccine - a single jab to protect against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox.
This replaces the current MMR vaccine and offers protection against chickenpox for the first time while making vaccination simpler for families.
