Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly (COVER) Direction 2019

The purpose of this Direction is to enable NHS Digital to collect information on the numbers of eligible children up to the age of five years completing each vaccine course on the routine childhood immunisation schedule. This information will be provided to Public Health England to publish as quarterly official statistics, and be jointly published by Public Health England and NHS Digital as annual national statistics, to support work across England to maintain and improve vaccine coverage.

Sections 254(1), 254(5), 260(4)(a), 260(2)(d), 261(1), 262(3)(a), 262(5), and 304(9) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (‘the Act’). In accordance with section 254(2)(b) of the Act, the Secretary of State considers it to be in the interests of the health service in England for this Direction to be given.

This Direction comes into force on 3 April 2019.