title: Improving MMR vaccination rates: herd immunity is a realistic goal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As measles is a highly infectious disease, the United Kingdom recommendation is for at least 95% of children to receive a first vaccination with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine before age 2 years and a booster before age 5 years to achieve herd immunity and prevent outbreaks. Reported vaccination rates for England have improved since a low level in 2003-4. Coverage for London is consistently lower than for England, however, and concerns have been expressed that there could be an epidemic of measles in the capital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational time series study.
  
  
  METHODS
  London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Key measurements for improvement Uptake rates for childhood vaccinations. The key target was to reach 95% coverage for the first MMR vaccine before age 2 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Financial support for the development of geographically based networks of general practices. Commissioning of care packages, incentivising delivery of high quality integrated care with network level vaccination targets of 95%. Innovative use of information technology to enable robust call and recall processes, active follow-up of defaulters, and increased knowledge about the demography of the children most difficult to reach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The development of networks of practices facilitated collaborative working among primary care clinicians and other stakeholders; peer review of achievements; and an element of healthy competition. Uptake improved for all childhood vaccinations, and to herd immunity levels for most. Uptake of the first MMR vaccine before age 2 years rose from 80% in September 2009  to 94% in March 2011.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Achieving herd immunity for childhood vaccinations is an achievable target in an ethnically mixed, socially deprived inner city borough. The ability to identify characteristics of the difficult to reach groups, including significant differences in uptake across different ethnicities, will allow targeted interventions that may further improve overall coverage.
authors.affiliation: St Stephen's Health Centre, London E3 5ED, UK. Philippa.Cockman@nhs.net
authors.forename: Philippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cockman
authors.forename: Luise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Rohini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mathur
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hull
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D019058:Community Networks; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D032521:Immunity, Herd; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D008457:Measles / Q000517:prevention & control; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D008490:Medical Informatics; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine