Generating demand for vaccinations in East Staffordshire

East Staffordshire PCN delivers a seasonal vaccination hub in partnership with a local football club. The hub runs out of the club venue from Thursday to Sunday, around match days, delivering bookable and walk-in vaccinations to the community. 

The hub provides access to flu vaccines in winter and COVID-19 boosters in spring. Staff can deliver 1,200 vaccinations a week at full capacity, though seasonal vaccine uptake has declined in recent years. Some of this was found to be a scheduling issue, with the over-65s cohort preferring to book vaccinations in the morning, and bookings declining sharply in the afternoon. To address this, clinic times were moved to meet demand and staff time was saved.

When investigating uptake, the team found that a level of complacency was delaying many patients from taking up the vaccine. These patients were willing to have the vaccine, but active demand was low across many clinic sessions. To generate demand, the duration of the vaccine hub was shortened to six weeks, with vaccinations remaining bookable in practices for the full seasonal campaign. The perception of a shortened vaccination window motivated patients to book in and demand increased.