Uptake of Children’s Flu Vaccine in Muslim Communities

Background

The Lancashire and South Cumbria Public Health Commissioning Team (PHCT) has direct commissioning responsibility for the delivery of the NHS Public Health Agreements in Lancashire and South Cumbria. One of their key areas relates to childhood and school immunisations, including seasonal flu.

Most eligible children aged 2 to 17 years are offered the nasal flu vaccine. The nasal flu vaccine contains gelatine that comes from pork as one of its additives. Gelatine is commonly used in a range of medicines, including many capsules and some other vaccines.

‘The national childhood flu immunisation programme 2020 to 2021 Information for healthcare practitioner’ document highlighted that some individuals in the British Muslim community consider the porcine gelatine product to be forbidden. Uptake of the flu vaccine in children in Lancashire & South Cumbria is below the national target and has been particularly low in areas where communities may refuse the vaccines due to their cultural beliefs.

The PHCT commissioned M·E·L Research to undertake qualitative research to gather views from Muslim parents that live in Blackburn with Darwen, Preston and Burnley. The research will help to identify the potential barriers and solutions to increase flu vaccine uptake in the future.  It will also be used to support potential changes to service delivery and thereby reduce health inequities amongst the Muslim community.

Methodology

M·E·L Research randomly sampled participants using CACI Ltd’s InSite GIS mapping and ACORN Customer Segmentation software to help identify locations within Burnley, Blackburn with Darwen and Preston where the likely incidence of those potentially classifying as Muslim was high (i.e. 70% or more).

M·E·L Research then conducted 30 telephone interviews, 27 in English and 3 in Urdu, each lasting between 30 to 45 minutes.

Outcomes

In our final report we were able to outline and provide insight into the following:

• Views on the flu immunisation programme
• Understanding of flue vaccine eligibility for children
• Reasons for declining the nasal spray
• Reasons for declining the injectable alternative
• Ways to improve the flue vaccination programme

We then provided key recommendations for the PHCT going forward.