Parents urged to get children MMR jab as one in six not fully vaccinated
By Shannon Pite
Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated following the publication of new NHS figures showing that nearly one in six had not received both doses of the MMR vaccine by the age of five.
According to the , published by NHS England, shows 16.1% of children who turned five between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 had not received both doses of the MMR vaccine 鈥 the lowest level since 2010-11. The data did, however show that, 91.9% of five-year-olds had been given at least one dose of the vaccination.
The figures also show one in nine children (11.1%) who had their second birthday in 2023-24 did not get the first dose of the MMR vaccine, and one in 12 babies (8.8%) had not received all three doses of the 6-in-1 vaccine, which includes protection against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio, by the age of one.
Two doses of the vaccine give long-term protection against measles, mumps and rubella, which can cause serious illness and complications such as blindness and meningitis.
The NHS is encouraging parents and carers to check their children are protected against these illnesses and, if not, to contact their GP practice to book an appointment.
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said:
鈥淭oo many children are still not fully vaccinated against diseases like measles and whooping cough, which can cause serious illness and are preventable.
鈥淰accinations have been protecting children for decades and are offered free as part of the NHS routine immunisation programme, saving thousands of lives and preventing tens of thousands of hospital admissions every year.
鈥淲e would advise parents to urgently check their child鈥檚 vaccination records and ensure they鈥檙e protected from becoming seriously unwell. Just speak to a healthcare professional like a school nurse if you鈥檇 like more information about vaccines, and contact your GP practice if you鈥檇 like to arrange a vaccination appointment for your child.鈥
The NHS is also urging pregnant women to get vaccinated against whooping cough to protect their babies, as evidence shows it is over 90% effective in preventing infant deaths if mums-to-be are vaccinated at the optimum time during pregnancy.