Immunisation: migrant health guide

Main messages

NewFor migrantsinformation toabout theCOVID-19 UKvaccination, mayincluding betranslated atresources, increasedvisit riskthe COVID-19 page of certainthe infections.

Healthcaremigrant practitionershealth should:guide.

• provideProvide new migrants with the the migrant immunisation information leaflet – it advises migrants on the need to register with a GP to get up to date with their routine vaccinations.

• alwaysAlways ask new migrants about their vaccine historyhistory.

• assumeAssume that patients aren’t immunised, unless they can give a reliable history of vaccinationvaccination.

IndividualsBe doadvised notthat needindividuals towho providearrive proofin ofthe identity,UK addresspart orway ofthrough immigrationtheir statusimmunisation inschedule ordershould tobe registertransferred withonto a GP practicethe UK schedule toand accessimmunised immunisations.as Thisappropriate alsofor appliestheir toage.

If asyluma seekers,course refugees,of homelessimmunisation patientshas orbeen overseasstarted visitors,but whethernot lawfullycompleted, incontinue from where it was interrupted: there is no need to repeat doses or restart the UKcourse.

See the immunisation algorithm for advice on immunising individuals with uncertain or not.incomplete immunisation status.

If in doubt, contact theyour local Screening and Immunisation Team for for further advice.

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Further advice

The World Health Organization’s ‘vaccine-preventable diseases monitoring system’ has information on on immunisation schedules by region, country and vaccine and  and reported cases of vaccine-preventable diseases and estimated coverage levels of vaccines by country and region.

If you are updating a patient’s immunisations, give as many necessary vaccines    asas possible simultaneously,at ineach differentvisit, sites,just overin thecase least number of visits to protect the personpatient indoes thenot shortestreturn timefor possible.subsequent appointments.

Consider asking any other family members who have accompanied the patient about their vaccination histories, and update them during the same visit,visit if possible.

Ask opportunistically about future future travel plans to visit friends and relatives in in their country of origin, and arrange for provision of appropriate travel advice as necessary.

Resources

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has further advice and information for health professionals and immunisation practitioners on:

• immunisation
• vaccines and vaccination procedures (The (The Green Book)
• vaccine uptake and the latest coverage data

FindThe publicImmunisation: healthwhy resources canour bechildren usedmust tobe findprotected resourcesDVD aboutis immunisationsavailable in differentBengali, languages.British Sign Language, Chinese, Gujarati, Polish, Punjabi, Somali, Urdu and with English subtitles.