Impact Review 2025/26: BNSSG Immunisations Group (BIG) HIT

Supporting communities with effective vaccination messaging

Vaccine coverage is lower in underserved communities. The HIT is working with community groups to address barriers to vaccine uptake.

In the last year the HIT met with more than a dozen community partners to consider how to support them, and any training needs they have identified. In November 2025 the HIT held an in-person network event in November 2025 with public contributors, community partners, clinicians and researchers. This meeting helped shaped plans for 2025/26.

During the meeting Health Ambassadors working with the local diverse Research Engagement Network shared their concerns with the HIT about vaccine messaging in communities. The HIT is now working alongside the Health Ambassadors and Caafi Health to support the evaluation of their work using the UKHSA evaluation framework.

The HIT has been working on a project looking at describing experiences with catch-up vaccinations (getting immunisations that have been previously delayed or missed) in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Supported by a final year medical student, semi-structured interviews have been undertaken with providers in the area and this work will be developed into 2026-27.

The HIT has also funded time a research associate’s time to begin work on an innovative social contact survey project, using techniques from infectious disease modelling to consider how information shared by community groups about vaccines is shared within communities.

Addressing vaccine information gaps

The HIT held two workshops (one for healthcare professionals; one for parents) on the MMR-V vaccinations and the change to the childhood schedule. Outputs from the workshops were included in a successful bid for BNSSG Research Capability Funding to develop communications around MMR-V.