The National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed that there has been a fall in uptake of nearly all pre-school vaccinations since 2013.
NHS England missed the 95 per cent uptake target for six out of seven pre-school jabs in 2018-19, following a general downward trend since 2012-13.
One in seven children under the age of five have not been given the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab. In 2018-19 only 86.4 per cent received the second dose of the MMR vaccine by age five and 84.8 per cent the four-in-one pre-school booster.
The report confirmed that take-up of the booster for Haemophilus, influenza type B and meningitis C vaccines, known as Hib/MenC, had never exceeded the 95 per cent target and continued to fall.
The report found there were issues with “inconsistencies” and “no coherent system” across the country over how parents were contacted and re-contacted about booking vaccine appointments.
Since the reorganisation of the system in 2013, there has been no consistent national approach by NHS England and Public Health England to engage with “under-served” groups, such as travellers, recent migrants and some religious faith groups.
The NAO highlighted that London has the lowest uptake rates of child vaccinations in the country.
Figures revealed that 96.4 per cent of children in County Durham get the second MMR dose compared with just 64.1 per cent in Westminster.
Meanwhile, 97.5 per cent have the Hib/MenC jab in Country Durham compared with 71.2 per cent in Hackney and City of London.
Dr Sarah Wollaston, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, said the decline in vaccination rates in recent years was “worrying”.
She said she would be questioning health bodies at a hearing in November on their plans to protect children and their communities by improving the uptake of vaccinations.
Earlier this year, the UK lost is measles-free status after cases of the potentially deadly illness began to circulate in some communities.
Here at Harrow Health Care, we provide a full range of children’s routine vaccinations. At our practice, we pride ourselves on providing a fast, convenient and uncompromised vaccination and immunisation clinic with same-day and next-day appointments.
Our expertise also extends to the recommended immunisations schedule for babies born outside the UK, and, in particular, the United States. We know how important it is that children travelling around the globe follow the immunisation schedule of their nationality.
For more information and to see the complete range of vaccination that we offer to babies and children, click here.
