Booking a jab should be ‘as easy as booking a cab’, NHS chief says

The NHS has launched a new vaccines strategy in light of a 10-year decline in the uptake of some jabs.

Amanda Pritchard set out plans to extend the NHS app (PA) (PA Wire)

Booking a jab should be “as easy as booking a cab”, the head of the NHS has said as part of a drive to push up vaccination rates.

Amanda Pritchard set out plans to extend the NHS app so people can get easier access to their vaccine record, book convenient appointments and keep track of their children’s vaccinations.

The NHS has launched a new vaccines strategy to urge people to get jabs in light of a 10-year decline in some immunisations, with particular concern over the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

MMR jab in 2022/23" data-source="">

In 2022/23, 92.5% of five-year-old children received their first dose of the MMR jab – the lowest level since 2010/11.

And only 84.5% of five-year-olds received two doses – also the lowest proportion since 2010/11.

The new strategy will set out the need for an easy and convenient “front door” to vaccines and will plan for tackling regional variations in uptake, including overcoming the hesitancy some parents feel regarding jabs for their children.

The strategy is expected to say that MMR vaccination rates across local authority areas in England vary by as much as 22% and will point to how building trust in local communities could help drive down this variation.

Booking invitations and reminders could be made more personalised and accessible, the strategy will say, while ‘one-stop shops’ where people can get jabs at the same time as blood pressure checks will be set up.

In 2025/26, the ambition is to use the NHS app to streamline access to a wider group of vaccinations for adults, children and young people, including jab invitations, in-app bookings, appointment notifications and access to vaccination records.

User-experience will also be improved through people being able to access same-day cancellations and make group bookings.

Through the NHS app, we’ll make sure booking a jab can be as easy as booking a cab so millions more people can get vaccinated

Amanda Pritchard, NHS

The strategy is expected to focus on targeting hard-to-reach groups, who are already being seen through initiatives such as school vaccination teams attending parents’ evenings or pop-up family clinics in children’s hospitals.

Booking and receiving more than one vaccine in a single visit – as is already happening for Covid and flu jabs – will become easier, while walk-in services will also be more widely publicised.

More use of jab stops in places such as shopping centres will also be encouraged.

Ms Pritchard said: “Through the NHS app, we’ll make sure booking a jab can be as easy as booking a cab so millions more people can get vaccinated.

“Users will be able to access their full vaccine status in a matter of seconds and book jabs with a simple swipe and tap.

“And we’ll continue to expand the amazing work of NHS staff, volunteers and partners to introduce even more pop-up sites in the heart of our local communities.

We want to see even more people supported to take up the offer of lifesaving vaccinations – it’s the best way to protect you and those around you from illnesses which can be fatal, so please do come forward if invited, and if you’re unsure or have questions, the NHS is here to help

Steve Russell, NHS England

“So, when you are invited for any of your vaccinations, please do book without delay – it could be lifesaving.”

Steve Russell, national director for vaccinations and screening for NHS England, said: “Vaccination is one of the best ways to boost public health, second only to clean water, which is why our vaccine strategy takes vital lessons from our world-leading NHS Covid-19 vaccine programme and the extraordinary efforts of local teams who found innovative ways to reach people during the pandemic and saved thousands of lives.

“This includes taking vaccines into the heart of communities where we see lower uptake rates, so offering vaccines at pop-up clinics and health hubs in shopping centres, and local schools teams going into parents’ evenings to address barriers to people consenting to their child’s vaccinations.

“We want to see even more people supported to take up the offer of lifesaving vaccinations – it’s the best way to protect you and those around you from illnesses which can be fatal, so please do come forward if invited, and if you’re unsure or have questions, the NHS is here to help.”

Health minister Maria Caulfield said: “To ensure as many people get vaccinated as possible, we need to make sure the programme fits around people’s lives.”

More than 33 million people are currently signed up to the NHS app.