Following a major measles outbreak in Hackney East London – one of the biggest in the UK in recent years – the City and Hackney Teaching Primary Care Trust has launched a touring immunisation programme.

"We've worked for months to raise awareness of the importance of the MMR vaccine and local GPs, community services and the community have responded well. The result is that vaccinations have gone up and cases have been reduced,” said the authority’s Jose Figueroa. “We hope the mobile immunisation unit will help us support parents having their children protected.”



The campaign began on 29 October and features an innovative mobile immunisation unit, which is visiting schools and nurseries throughout Hackney to offer MMR and other vaccines to unprotected children.
As well as the daily vaccination programme, where inoculations will be given on the spot by two trained school nurses, the tour aims to raise awareness of the importance of immunisation among parents and carers who have not yet immunised their children.
 
Consequently, the exterior of the vehicle is branded with the eye-catching slogan ‘Watch out! Measles about’ and supporting graphics, echoing local health promotion literature.
 
The interior of the unit provides a seated ‘waiting room’, screened-off areas for the vaccinations and a fridge for the vaccines themselves.

“We have staged many health promotion campaigns, but this is the first time one of our vehicles has been used to deliver frontline health services,” said Keith Austin, managing director of Event Marketing Solutions, which is hosting the campaign, as well as supplying, kitting out and branding the vehicle.