Rubella vaccination: The effect of health education andadministrative systems on vaccination rates in two health authorities

In 1983, the contribution of a standardised health education package on the schoolrubella vaccination programme was assessed in two adjoining health authorities. A controlled trial in schools showed that there was no statistically significant association between the use of the health education package and a high vaccination rate. Before 1983, inaccurate denominators based on consent forms sent out were used in calculating uptake rates. In addition, the numerator used in determining the numbers of children protected by the end of any one year did not take account of children previously immunised or those wishing to attend their family doctor. The study introduced an accurate denominator based on named class lists and an accurate numerator based on school vaccinations and general practitioner vaccinations as well as the number of children previously immunised, all of which had a marked enhancing effect on the percentage of children protected by the end of an academic year.