Medical Centre

  Public health and NHS topics discussed at our clinical meeting today at Dr Curran and Partners in Clapham, London. 1. Infectious diseases update After high rates of infectious diseases such as Covid-19, influenza and Streptococcus A towards the end of 2022, we are seeing signs of falls in all these infections. This should help the NHS locally and nationally. However, Covid-19 remains a threat and it is very likely we will experience periods during 2023 when Covid-19 infections are high.  a. Covid-19 statistics b. Hospital admission rates in England: Covid-19 and influenza c. Weekly scarlet fever notifications in England 2. New JCVI recommendations on Covid-19 vaccine boosters The JCVI has recommended that Covid-19 booster vaccinations should be offered in the Spring and Autumn this year for selected groups of patients at high risk. In the Spring, this is likely to be similar to the programme in 2022 (i.e. the very elderly and immunocompromised). In the Autumn, it is likely to be si

Our study published today in the British Journal of General Practice shows how the uptake of flu vaccination in pregnancy varies with age, ethnicity and socio-economic deprivation. Pregnant women are at an increased risk from influenza (flu), yet uptake of  Seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) during pregnancy remains low, despite increases since 2010. Getting the flu vaccine when pregnant is important, because it reduces the risk of severe disease, complications and adverse outcomes for both mother and child such as pre-term birth. However, uptake was lower among women living in more deprived areas, women who were younger or older than average, Black women and those with undocumented ethnicity.  Although the flu vaccine is safe and recommended for pregnant women, misconceptions about safety play a role in pregnant women not being vaccinated and flu vaccination levels among pregnant women are suboptimal worldwide.  In the UK, since 2010, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisa

Clinical update for Dr Curran and Partners (Manor Health Centre, Lambeth) for the week of 19 January 2023  1. Covid-19 statistics update After a peak in December, Covid-19 cases, hospital admissions and deaths have begun to decline in January 2023. We are though likely to see further waves of infection later in the year. 2. Covid-19 vaccine boosters Uptake of Covid-19 boosters has plateaued at a lower level than we hoped for. In England, around 64.4% of people aged 50 and over have received a booster in the current campaign. In Lambeth, only 40% of people aged 50 and over have received a Covid-19 booster, well below the national average. Please encourage patients to attend for a booster if they are eligible. 3. Covid-19 treatments Some people at highest risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 are eligible for antiviral treatments on the NHS. These include some patients with cancer, blood conditions, kidney disease, liver disease and autoimmune conditions, among others.  GP recepti