Immunisation Uptake Statistics at 12 and 24 months of age

Data Collection Type
National data collections of health and social care in Ireland
Organisation

HSE-Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

Year established

2000

Statement of purpose

To measure the national uptake of the vaccines recommended as part of the primary childhood immunisation schedule.

Coverage (geographical and temporal)

National coverage of children 12 months of age and children 24 months of age. Data also reported by Community Healthcare Organisation, (former) HSE Area and Local Health Office.

Description/Summary

Vaccines in the primary childhood immunisation schedule are given by General Practitioners; the returns (records of GP administered vaccinations to patients) are sent to the local HSE Area and recorded on the local database.

Each HSE area maintains a childhood immunisation database and since 2000 provides HPSC with immunisation uptake data on a quarterly basis. These data relate to children on the HSE area databases who reached their first or second birthday (uptake at 12 and 24 months, respectively) in that quarter and who received the recommended number of doses of vaccines against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, polio and meningococcal group C, meningococcal group B, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, measles, mumps and rubella.

HPSC collates the national immunisation uptake data and produces quarterly and annual reports which are available on the HPSC website.

Data users

Immunisation staff in the Community Healthcare Organisations (CHOs), HSE-National Immunisation Office (NIO), Departments of Public Health, HSE-HPSC.

Data content

Number eligible for immunisation with each vaccine/antigen; number immunised with each vaccine/antigen; % uptake for each vaccine/antigen. These data are collated by Local Health Office, and former HSE Areas.

Data dictionary

Yes. Not available online.

National-level identifier variables

No.

Equity stratifiers

No.

Data collection methodology

Immunisation uptake data are requested from the HSE areas by HPSC six weeks after quarter end. It is requested that the HSE areas extract the data from their databases within two weeks of this request. Data should be submitted to HPSC as soon as possible after this. The published data are data held on the database on the day of data extraction.

Clinical coding scheme

Not in use.

Size of national collection

Aggregate data on approx. 60,000 children in 2021 (equivalent to annual birth cohort).

Publication frequency

Quarterly reports published on HPSC website.

Accessing data

Data requests can be submitted via hpsc@hse.ie and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Open data portal access

No.

Email contact
Telephone contact
Other comments

The National Immunisation Office (NIO) oversees day-to-day implementation of the national immunisation programme by the HSE and is responsible for the procurement and distribution of vaccines and related training activities (cold chain management, vaccination guidance). It also provides up-to-date information leaflets for parents and health-care professionals. It hosts a website http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/ and is developing a national IT register for immunisations. The 2013, and updates to the Immunisation Guidelines are available on the HSE website and on HPSC website.