title: Immunisation hotline calls as five-in-one vaccine introduced.
abstract: Announcement of the introduction of the five-in-one vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib) into the primary immunisation schedule was made on 9 August 2004. In this study all calls to the immunisation hotline were recorded between 9 August 2004 and 19 November 2004, noting who called and the nature of their enquiry. A total of 208 calls were received during the study period, and of these 23 (11.1%) related to the new vaccine. Calls were from parents (10/23, 43%), health visitors (9/23, 39%) and practice nurses (3/23, 13%). A variety of themes were covered in calls including local availability of the five-in-one vaccine, vaccine safety, mercury content and efficacy. Calls not connected with the new vaccine concerned mostly adolescent MMR (17.3%) as there was a local mumps epidemic. Others related to clarification of a child's immunisation status (13.5%), primary MMR immunisation (13.5%), vaccination scheduling or administration difficulties (12%), other schedule (12.5%) and non-schedule vaccines (2.4%), vaccine reactions (2.4%), travel vaccines (6%), BCG (6%), and a few miscellaneous queries (3%). Overall questions about the new five-in-one vaccine accounted for an extra 23 calls to the immunisation hotline during the study period (11.1% of calls).
authors.affiliation: Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fisher-Jeffes
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Finlay
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D004739:England; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D006266:Health Education; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D015277:Hotlines / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D023321:Poliovirus Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D014611:Vaccination; D017778:Vaccines, Combined
chemical_list: D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D023321:Poliovirus Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D017778:Vaccines, Combined