Do interventions that improve immunisation uptake also reduce social inequalities in uptake?
OBJECTIVE–To investigate whether an intervention designed to improve overall immunisation uptake affected social inequalities in uptake. DESIGN–Cross-sectional small area analyses measuring immunisation uptake in cohorts of children before and after intervention. Small areas classified into five groups, from most deprived to most affluent, with Townsend deprivation score of census enumeration districts. SETTING–County of Northumberland. SUBJECTS–All children born in country in four birth cohorts (1981-2, 1985-6, 1987-8, and 1990-1) and still resident at time of analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES–Overall uptake in each cohort of pertussis, diphtheria, and measles immunisation, difference in uptake between most deprived and most affluent areas, and odds ratio of uptake between deprived and affluent areas. RESULTS–Coverage for pertussis immunisation rose from 53.4% in first cohort to 91.1% in final cohort. Coverage in the most deprived areas was lower than in the most affluent areas by
