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Vaccination

Vaccination Rates for Young Children Fall Short of 95 Per Cent Target

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The proportion of young children in England who have been vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and other diseases has dropped to its lowest level in over a decade, NHS figures reveal. Between 2023-24 and the previous year, the percentage of five-year-olds who had received one dose of the MMR vaccine fell to 91.9 per cent, while only 83.9 per cent had received both doses. The vaccine uptake rate for the first MMR dose at 24 months also reached a decade-low of 88.9 per cent. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated as the new school year begins, stating that vaccines prevent more than 5,000 deaths and 100,000 hospital admissions in England each year.

Key Takeaways:

  • The percentage of five-year-olds who had received one dose of the MMR vaccine fell to 91.9 per cent in 2023-24, the lowest level since 2010-11.
  • Only 83.9 per cent of five-year-olds had received both doses of the MMR vaccine, the lowest since 2009-10.
  • The vaccine uptake rate for the first MMR dose at 24 months reached a decade-low of 88.9 per cent in 2023-24.
  • Coverage of all the main vaccines fell year-on-year, with the largest drop seen for the Hib/MenC vaccine, which protects against Haemophilus influenzae type B and meningitis C.
  • The last time the 95 per cent target uptake was met was in 2020-21.
  • Vaccines prevent more than 5,000 deaths and 100,000 hospital admissions in England alone each year.
  • 91.2 per cent of children had completed the first course of the six-in-one vaccine by the age of 12 months in 2023-24, down from 91.8 per cent the year before.
  • The public health minister, Andrew Gwynne, emphasized the importance of vaccination as the "best form of protection against serious illness."

Statistics:

  • 91.9 per cent of five-year-olds received one dose of the MMR vaccine in 2023-24.
  • 83.9 per cent of five-year-olds received both doses of the MMR vaccine in 2023-24.
  • 88.9 per cent of children received the first MMR dose at 24 months in 2023-24.
  • The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) states that vaccines prevent more than 5,000 deaths and 100,000 hospital admissions in England each year.
  • 91.2 per cent of children completed the first course of the six-in-one vaccine by the age of 12 months in 2023-24.

Sources:

  • NHS England
  • UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
  • Andrew Gwynne, Public Health Minister
  • Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at the UKHSA

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