Health experts have issued a warning that England must “wake up” to its declining childhood vaccination programme, with one in five children starting primary school without protection against highly infectious diseases.
From January, GPs will start offering a combined shot for measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox for infants. However, uptake of existing jabs remains below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 95% target for herd immunity.
According to recent data from the UK Health Security Agency, nearly 83.7% of five-year-olds received both doses of the MMR vaccine in 2024-25, while just 81.4% had the four-in-one preschool shot for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, and more.
There are significant regional differences: Over 90% of children under five in the north-east had both MMR doses in contrast to only 69.6% in London.
Moreover, the uptake is significantly reduced among a select racial minority groups, notably Black Caribbean and African communities.
Experts issued a warning that without higher coverage, contagious diseases like measles would rapidly spread.
Currently, the UK has the lowest MMR uptake in the G7.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock urged parents to check out their child’s records: “Vaccines save lives. Too many children remain vulnerable to preventable illnesses.”
