Vaccine Hesitancy Threatens UK's Progress Against Infectious Diseases

Strategic Insights -

Vaccination rates in England have fallen to their lowest level in a decade, with many parts of the country, particularly in London, experiencing low vaccination rates. The under-fives are not receiving the necessary protection from infectious diseases, with 2,911 cases of measles recorded in England last year, the highest number since 2012. This is despite the fact that vaccines have been shown to be highly effective in preventing the spread of diseases. The NHS is also failing to provide adequate support to parents who are hesitant about vaccinating their children.

Key Takeaways:

  • Vaccination rates in England have fallen to their lowest level in a decade, with only 90.6% of children receiving the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab, below the 95% threshold necessary for herd immunity (WHO, 2022).
  • Many parts of London have vaccination rates below 70%, with the boroughs of Camden, Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham experiencing some of the lowest rates in the country.
  • There were 2,911 cases of measles recorded in England last year, the highest number since 2012, with 11 babies also dying from whooping cough (Public Health England, 2022).
  • Professor Elizabeth Whittaker, a pediatric diseases expert, warns that the NHS fails to give doubting parents space and time to discuss their fears, and that vaccine disinformation has grown, particularly since the pandemic.
  • The Lancet estimates that vaccines have saved nearly 150 million children over the past 50 years, but the spread of vaccine disinformation and complacency threaten to undermine this progress.
  • Long-debunked views, such as the link between the MMR vaccine and autism, continue to be spread, putting children's lives in danger.
  • The NHS is being under additional pressure due to low vaccination rates, which ultimately threatens the health of the nation.

Statistics:

  • 90.6% of children in England received the MMR jab in 2022 (Public Health England, 2022)
  • 2,911 cases of measles were recorded in England in 2022, the highest number since 2012 (Public Health England, 2022)
  • 14,894 confirmed cases of whooping cough were recorded in England in 2022 (Public Health England, 2022)
  • The Lancet estimates that vaccines have saved nearly 150 million children over the past 50 years (The Lancet, 2020)
  • 11 babies died from whooping cough in England in 2022 (Public Health England, 2022)

Sources:

  • WHO. (2022). Immunization coverage. Retrieved from [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/immunization-coverage](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/immunization-coverage)
  • Public Health England. (2022). Vaccine coverage for England. Retrieved from [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-coverage-england](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-coverage-england)
  • The Lancet. (2020). The global effects of vaccination. Retrieved from [https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30534-6/fulltext](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30534-6/fulltext)