Increasing vaccination uptake in Kirklees through a collaborative system approach

Low vaccination uptake across NHS England vaccination programmes has led to an increase in vaccine preventable diseases across the UK and locally. These disproportionally affect disadvantaged and underserved communities, where uptake is lowest, exacerbating existing health inequalities and leaving many children and vulnerable individuals unprotected and at risk.

Evidence nationally demonstrates the role community champions can play in addressing inequalities in vaccination uptake and outcomes around vaccine preventable illness.

The NHS Vaccination Strategy places strong emphasis on community engagement and building trust as essential components for increasing vaccine uptake and reducing inequalities.

Between February and April 2024 Kirklees Public Health Commissioned Community Champions to carry out a programme of work to increase MMR uptake in low uptake communities. The aims of this programme of work were to: 

• improving awareness of MMR vaccine and supporting informed decision making
• increase understanding of the risks associated with contracting measles
• improved awareness of how to access vaccines including eligibility criteria
• gaining important insights around barriers, key themes and learning
• focus on health inclusion groups
• community based conversations raised awareness and offered advice and signposting.

• 946 one-to-one conversations occurred in North and South Kirklees
• 49 group visits, with 496 additional individuals reached as part of the group visits.

As a result of these conversations:

• 761 people said they had an improved understanding of measles including signs and symptoms
• 593 people had an improved awareness of vaccines and how and where to get them
• 159 people were signposted to get a vaccine
• 126 were signposted to further resources.

Every person spoken to was provided with a measles factsheet.

Thank you for giving me information and talking to me in Urdu – I can pass this on now to family and friends."

I am new in the UK, I knew nothing about this jab, now I do my children will have it."

I have two children and neither have had the vaccine , I am very grateful as I didn’t know about it or that have it was free."

How wonderful to speak to someone also from my home country in our languages, I now
fully understand everything about Measles thank you!"

Following the feedback received the Public Health team worked with Locala community Partnership to deliver a mobile vaccine offer across nine locations in Kirklees throughout July and August 2025. This resulted in 552 vaccinations being administered.

To continue the work in increasing vaccination uptake across Kirklees and align with the NHS Vaccination strategy; Kirklees Public Health aimed to promote the expansion of the NHS app and increase knowledge and understanding to prevent the risk of digital exclusion within local populations.

The feedback received from community champions engagement in 2024/2025 highlighted digital exclusion and vaccine hesitancy/misinformation as barriers to vaccination. Kirklees Council Public Health, Third Sector Leaders (TSL), and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) partnered to train Community Champions to promote digital health access, through the NHS App, and support conversations around vaccination at the same time. 

Our response to this feedback was to develop an approach to training Community Champions to assist residents with NHS App usage, signpost them to local digital support resources (such as council services, libraries, hubs, and community cafés), and build trust by providing tailored information about digital health and vaccines.

Over a five-week period, champions held more than 200 community conversations, offering practical, localised support. This engagement resulted in 92 individuals being supported to download and use the NHS App, with 87 signposted to libraries, 63 to community cafés, and 7 referred to digital hubs. Of those who engaged, 85 expressed a desire for assistance with the NHS app; 73 had used it, many for the very first time. Importantly, 46 people decided to get vaccinated after speaking with a champion.

Barriers identified included low digital confidence, especially among older adults, limited awareness of NHS App features (noted by over 40%), difficulties booking appointments, and a preference for phone or face-to-face methods. Other challenges were cultural, language, and logistical in nature. What proved most helpful was the presence of trusted, local champions providing real-time, face-to-face support and clear signposting to both digital and health services.

Among vaccine access barriers, the most cited were difficulties booking appointments, lack of digital skills and access, language and communication challenges, and insufficient support with attending appointments. Some participants noted they had “no issues” or felt “all good” regarding access.

Reasons for not getting vaccinated ranged from concerns about side effects and mistrust in the vaccine, to beliefs that it wasn’t needed, lack of time, appointment difficulties, digital barriers, and personal, cultural, or religious reasons. To increase uptake, respondents suggested easier booking channels, reminder texts or calls, local drop-in clinics, help using the NHS App, evening/weekend availability, and opportunities to speak directly with a GP. However, a portion of respondents indicated that nothing would change their mind.

Moving forward, Kirklees Public Health is committed to ongoing efforts to boost vaccination rates. The team is now developing a sustainable behaviour change model to empower local communities, focusing on upskilling individuals to have effective conversations around vaccine hesitancy.

• Trusted community voices matter: Training locally embedded Community Champions enabled culturally appropriate, trusted conversations that improved understanding and influence behaviour change.
• Language and cultural relevance drives impact: Providing information in community languages and through culturally competent approaches significantly increased engagement.
• Digital inclusion must be addressed alongside access: Low digital confidence and barriers to using booking systems can prevent uptake; combining vaccine messaging with NHS App support improved access.
• Partnership working strengthens reach: Collaboration between Public Health, the ICB, and third sector partners enabled consistent messaging, wider reach, and coordinated delivery.
• Flexible and accessible delivery increases uptake: Mobile clinics, local venues, and out-of-hours options helped overcome logistical barriers and converted intention into action.
• Insights should shape ongoing delivery: Continuous feedback from communities helped identify barriers (e.g. mistrust, access issues, cultural factors) and informed responsive service design.
• Behaviour change requires sustained investment: Upskilling communities to have ongoing, informed conversations is key to building long-term resilience and improving uptake.