New map shows MMR vaccine rates continue to fall across the UK

Child with measles
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


The proportion of children vaccinated against potentially deadly but preventable diseases such as measles continues to drop - and our map shows the rates where you live.

The UK Health Security Agency recently revealed that a child had died during England’s biggest outbreak of measles in a decade.
As of September 9, there had been 2,465 lab-confirmed cases of measles this year. That compares to just 362 cases all last year.
The UKHSA partly blames the spread this year on falling rates of the MMR vaccine.

It comes as new NHS England figures show that 91.9% of five-year-olds had received one dose of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, the lowest level since 2010-11, while just 83.9% had received both doses, the lowest since 2009-10.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says to achieve herd immunity - which stops illnesses transmitting across the population - at least 95% of children should receive their full set of vaccine doses for each illness.

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The NHS England data shows that no council area of England hit the target figure of vaccinating 95% of children against measles, mumps, and rubella by their fifth birthday.

Cumbria came closest with a rate of 94.8%, followed by East Riding of Yorkshire (94.5%), and County Durham (94.2%).

All the areas with the lowest rates were in London. Hackney had the lowest rate at 60.8%, meaning three in 10 children have not received both jabs by the age of five.

However, that has increased from 56.3% in 2022-23. View the situation in your area below.

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 any vaccine surpassed the target of 95% uptake was in 2020/21, when 5-1 vaccine coverage among five-year-olds stood at 95.2%.

The UKHSA is urging parents to check their children’s vaccinations are up to date amid fears of a back-to-school surge of diseases like measles and whooping cough due to falling vaccine rates.

The NHS says vaccines prevent more than 5,000 deaths and 100,000 hospital admissions each year in England.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA consultant epidemiologist, said: “As a mum and doctor, I know the additional stress that comes with having a sick child.

“I encourage all parents to take up the offer of vaccinations for their children at the right time, to give them the best protection from preventable diseases.

“Childhood vaccines prevent babies and children from suffering needlessly and can even be life-saving. And importantly vaccination is also about not spreading the disease to others who may be more vulnerable.

“It only takes one case of measles to get into a school or nursery where many children are unprotected for numbers to suddenly surge.
“It’s never too late to catch up.

“If you’re not sure if your child is up to date with all their vaccines, check their Red Book or contact your GP practice, who can book an appointment if needed. Don’t put it off, please act today.”

Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said: “Too many children are still not fully vaccinated against diseases like measles and whooping cough, which can cause serious illness and are preventable.

“Vaccinations 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.

“We would advise parents to urgently check their child’s vaccination records and ensure they’re protected from becoming seriously unwell.”