Vaccine statistics released by the Health Protection Agency show NHS Derbyshire County, the primary care trust (PCT) which covers South Derbyshire, had the 10th lowest rate of uptake of the life-saving vaccine out of 152 trusts in 2008, the last year for which figures are available.

Across the trust area, just 40.6 per cent of people classed as ‘at risk’ – including the elderly and sufferers of heart and respiratory disease – received the vaccine, compared to a national average of 47.1 per cent.

However, the trust fared well in other areas, in particular in child immunization, where it was rated among the top performing trusts in the country for uptake of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), and not surprisingly also had low numbers of measles cases.

The trust was the joint 15th best rated out of 152 trusts in the country for uptake of the second dose of the vaccine, with 87.3 per cent of five-year-olds having received it, compared to a national average of 78 per cent.

Derbyshire, along with neighboring trusts in South Staffordshire and Leicestershire, enjoyed below-average levels of HIV, but the county had the joint seventh highest figure for late-diagnosis HIV, with 50 people diagnosed late, making it harder for them to be treated and at greater risk of death, against a national average of 32.1 people.

However, David Black, director of public health for the trust, said the figures as a whole, which also showed the area had low rates of Chlamydia and food poisoning, proved living in Derbyshire was ‘good for your health’.

He said: “We are delighted that these new indicators confirm that NHS Derbyshire County is one of the best in the country for major health issues, however we recognize there is no room for complacency and much work yet to do.

“Areas for improvement include immunization against seasonal flu, which remains disappointingly low.

“This is still a big threat to the elderly and those with chronic illnesses and currently pregnant women as well, so we would like to see those at risk taking this more seriously and accepting the offer of the flu vaccine that their GP will make later this year.” South Staffordshire PCT, which covers Burton, was also at the lower end of the table for uptake of seasonal flu vaccine – joint 121st out of the 152 trusts, with a rate of 45.2 per cent.

NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland, which covers North West Leicestershire, enjoyed a high ranking for uptake of the MMR vaccine, with 88.5 per cent of five-year-olds having received the second dose, placing the PCT joint seventh in the country.

Meanwhile, the trust was ranked 95th for uptake of seasonal flu among at-risk groups, just a fraction below the national average at 47 per cent.

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