Approaches to vaccine delivery: learning from Gloucestershire ICB’s Covid-19 vaccine programme
Think tank: The King’s Fund
Author(s): Emma Wills; Beccy Baird
December 9, 2025
This report from UK think tank The King’s Fund examines how Gloucestershire ICB’s achieved some of the highest Covid-19 and adult vaccination uptake rates in England.
This report examines how Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board achieved some of the highest Covid-19 and adult vaccination uptake rates in England despite challenges including rurality, deprivation and an ageing population.
It attributes success to a strongly localised delivery model, with vaccines provided through GP-led networks and familiar community venues rather than large mass sites, making services more accessible and trusted. Real-time data was used to identify gaps in uptake and guide targeted outreach, while tailored approaches – including pop-up clinics and mobile units – helped reach underserved and hesitant groups. Close collaboration between health services, local authorities and community organisations, alongside flexible adaptation based on feedback, further strengthened delivery.
The report concludes that Gloucestershire’s approach reflects established best practice, demonstrating the importance of combining data-driven planning, trusted community engagement, clear communication and convenient access. However, it also highlights ongoing challenges, including logistical complexity from running multiple local sites, reliance on key community relationships, and persistent barriers such as mistrust, misinformation and language differences.
Looking beyond the pandemic, the report notes reduced resources and competing priorities may make sustaining such intensive approaches harder, but emphasises that embedding these principles within routine vaccination programmes will be critical to improving uptake and tackling inequalities in future.
