Summary
Helen (MBBS, BSc, MSc, DRCOG, MFPH) is a clinical research fellow and public health specialist registrar in the Department of Primary Care and Public Health at Imperial College London. Helen's research focuses on infant and maternal (pregnancy) vaccine uptake.
In March 2021 she was awarded a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Doctoral Research Fellowship investigating late and missed childhood vaccination. Using routine primary care records Helen is investigating the determinants of late or missed childhood vaccine uptake and estimate the impact on subsequent child health outcomes. This will include linking mother and infant primary care records to examine the relationship between maternal factors, including maternal vaccine uptake, and childhood vaccination. As part of her NIHR fellowship Helen is also be working with the Mosaic Community Trust in North-West London on a co-production study to ask local parents why they think some children miss out on being vaccinated.
Helen has also been involved in research during Covid-19 to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on maternal and child vaccinations as well as attitudes to Covid-19 vaccines during pregnancy.
Helen is taking time out from her specialist public health medicine registrar training in London to complete her Phd. She has previously completed training placements in local authority public health departments and Public Health England Health Protection Units. Helen was also part of the clinical team for Public Health England's London Coronavirus Response Cell.
Helen qualified in Medicine from at Imperial College School of Medicine (2008) where she also completed a BSc in Immunobiology and pathology (2006). Helen completed her foundation programme in the North West Thames Foundation School Hospitals in 2010. She then did a masters in Public Health Medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London (2012). She has previously run the taster and shadowing program for those interested in applying to Public Health Medicine for Health Education England.
AFFILIATIONS
Child Health Unit
Global Digital Health Unit
Publications
Journals
Woodcock T, Novov V, Skirrow H, et al., 2023, Health and socio-demographic characteristics associated with uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination amongst pregnant women: retrospective cohort study, British Journal of General Practice, Vol:73, ISSN:0960-1643, Pages:e148-e155
Cardoso Pinto A, Shariq S, Ranasinghe L, et al., 2023, Reasons for reductions in routine childhood immunisation uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review, Plos Global Public Health, ISSN:2767-3375
Papoutsi C, Hargreaves D, Hagell A, et al., 2022, Implementation and delivery of group consultations for young people with diabetes in socioeconomically deprived, ethnically diverse settings, Bmc Medicine, Vol:20, ISSN:1741-7015
Skirrow H, Barnett S, Bell S, et al., 2022, Women’s experiences of accessing vaccines during pregnancy and for their babies during COVID-19, European Journal of Public Health, Vol:32, ISSN:1101-1262, Pages:1-1
Conference
Skirrow H, Ghattas J, 2022, 6.P. Skills building seminar: Children and young people: engaging the unheard stakeholder, 15th European Public Health Conference Strengthening health systems, Oxford University Press, Pages:161-162, ISSN:1101-1262