Travel Vaccines - Non-NHS Available
Travel Vaccines (Non-NHS) |
| Proposal: |
| To stop offering the following travel vaccines on the NHS: • Hepatitis B • Meningitis ACWY • Yellow fever • Japanese B encephalitis • Tick bourne encephalitis • Rabies vaccine The following vaccines will continue to be funding by the NHS: |
| Rationale for change: |
| NHS patients are entitled to receive free advice on travel vaccinations, however, only some vaccinations required for travel are available on the NHS. This includes Hepatitis A vaccine, Typhoid vaccine, Combined hepatitis A and typhoid vaccine, combined Tetanus, diphtheria and polio vaccine and Cholera vaccine.
Other vaccines such as Hepatitis B, Meningitis ACWY, Yellow fever, Japanese B encephalitis, Tick bourne encephalitis and Rabies vaccine are not remunerated by the NHS as part of additional services in relation to travel abroad, and these vaccines should not be prescribed on FP10 prescription. It is proposed that a GP practices may charge a registered patient for the immunisation if requested for travel, or the patient may be given a private prescription to obtain the vaccines. In addition, the combined hepatitis A/hepatitis B vaccine is prescribable on the NHS because it contains hepatitis A. However, because hepatitis B is not commissioned by the NHS as a travel vaccine, Basildon and Brentwood CCG does not support the prescribing of this item. Patients requiring both vaccines for travel purposes should receive hepatitis B privately. |
| Impact: |
| There is currently very little prescribing of Meningitis ACWY, Yellow fever, Japanese B encephalitis, Tick borne encephalitis and Rabies vaccines on FP10 prescription in BBCCG, and therefore this policy would help to ensure no new prescribing. There is however a BBCCG spend of almost £75k per year associated with Hepatitis B vaccine, as well as the combined hepatitis A/hepatitis B vaccine. It is envisaged that implementation of local policy would reduce any inappropriate prescribing for travel abroad. |
For further information:
Download the Service Restriction Policy Review document here
See our information on Have your say on the Service Restriction Policy Review
Download our current Service Restriction Policy here
Download the Quality/Equality Impact Assessment for Travel Vaccines here
Find more information on existing local services at http://www.nhs.uk/service-search
