Internal variation in the uptake of whooping cough immunisation within a Health Authority.

Data were obtained on the vaccination history of 6,898 children immunised with D3, the final dose of diphtheria vaccine. These children were born between 1984 and 1990 and were also resident within a single Health Authority during part or all of this time. Analysis of this data revealed consistent variation by treatment centre in the uptake of whooping cough vaccine in those children receiving the diphtheria vaccine. Certain treatment centres consistently achieved greater success in giving the whooping cough vaccine to those children who had received the diphtheria vaccine.