The Health Protection Committee acts as a source of advice and expertise on health protection policies and issues, including: communicable disease control and delivery of national, regional and local health protection services; control of biological, chemical and other environmental hazards; emergency planning and preparedness; and the effects of climate change.
The Health Protection (Education & Training) Special Interest Group (SIG) reports to the Health Protection Committee. The Committee and SIG chairs will collaborate to co-ordinate the work of the SIGs and the Committee to maximise their impact.
Recent work
FPH Response to RCPCH Report on Vaccination Access and Equity
Immunisation is one of the most effective public health measures to protect populations and reduce the impact of serious disease outbreaks on communities.
The RCPCH report “Vaccination in the UK: Access, uptake and equity” is a timely reminder that improving vaccine uptake and coverage depends on ensuring vaccination is easy to access. Falling coverage rates in some vulnerable communities in the UK highlight the impact of current vaccine delivery models on health equity and the challenges faced by parents trying to access childhood immunisation.
FPH supports the RCPCH’s findings that under-vaccination linked to barriers in accessing services, as well as concerns about vaccine hesitancy and the role of social media in spreading misinformation, must not distract government and the NHS from the critical importance of actively supporting parents to easily access vaccines for their children. Achieving this will require a shift in NHS priorities towards making vaccine delivery as convenient and straightforward as possible for families.
Health Security - the Role of Health Protection
The Health Protection Committee contributed to an FPH policy briefing on Health Security and the role of Health Protection. The briefing provides an overview of the issue, highlights FPH's current work in the field and our current policy position, as well as proposing policies to improve the UK's health protection services and workforce. You can read the full briefing here.
Contact
Committee Chair - Dominic Mellon
Vice-Chair - David Edwards
Email address - georgiaharris@fph.org.uk
