Our Learnings
Our Care City Cohort linked dataset brings together information from the NHS and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. We have used the dataset to understand the variables associated with higher / lower use of health and social care services across five settings of care (Acute Care, Mental Health, Primary Care, Community Care and Social Care). In light of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, we have used the dataset to identify some lessons in the inequalities to accessing the flu vaccine and how this can support the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Our Learnings
- The COVID-19 vaccine roll-out may get more challenging as we move down the priority groups. Take-up of flu vaccines is highest among older residents. Among residents age 65+, those with a long-term condition (about half of residents) are 1.4 times more likely to be vaccinated
- Take-up varies substantially by ethnicity, and this may relate to health needs as well as cultural factors. Flu vaccine take-up is low among ‘White Other’ and older ‘Black African’ residents. It is high among Asian groups, particularly Bangladeshi residents. This may relate to diabetes, which is associated with high take-up of flu vaccines. Among Bangladeshi residents age 50-64 who are eligible for a flu vaccine, 74% have diabetes, compared to 34% of eligible White British or Irish residents
- Take up of seasonal flu vaccines appears lower in people with liver disease and those with BMI of 40+. This may relate to socioeconomic factors, as well as the engagement of this group with health services
- There is no strong evidence of variation by area. The lowest take-up for a neighbourhood is 30% for an area within the Gascoigne ward in Barking, though this is partially explained by the area demographics, and average take-up given the local population would be 38%
- Take-up does not vary by practice size. Eligible patients at small practice have the same probability of receiving a seasonal flu vaccine as those at large practices.
Who’s involved? The key stakeholders
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Care City : Care City is a centre for healthy ageing innovation, research, and education. It is based in Barking and works across the four boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest, with reach into Essex and surrounding areas through provision networks.
The Health Foundation: From giving grants to those working at the front line to carrying out research and policy analysis, we shine a light on how to make successful change happen.
