All parents will be sent reminders urging them to get their children vaccinated

Every family will receive reminders from their GPs when it is time for their children’s jabs, under a Tory pledge to reverse a decline in rates of vaccinations.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said the new system, which will primarily operate through text messages, would save lives, ensuring the nation’s children are healthy and protected.

He also attacked Jeremy Corbyn for previously backing a motion which raised the possibility of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, following research which is now discredited.

Earlier this year official figures showed rates of childhood vaccinations are now falling for every major illness.

And Britain recently lost its “measles-free” status, three years after the disease was eliminated in the country.

Health officials are concerned that the rise of the “anti-vaxx” movement, fuelled by social media, is spreading disinformation.

The new system, which will primarily operate through text message and digital reminders, will include an option for postal reminders for those without a digital medical record.

And parents will receive follow up messages if they fail to make appointments.

The move will come as part of a wider Vaccination Strategy, which the Conservatives today promised to launch within the first 30 days of the new administration, as part of a bid to regain the UK’s “measles-free” status.

Mr Hancock said: “The science is clear: vaccines save lives, and ensuring that children are properly immunised is one of the most important things any parent can do for their children. So we will introduce a national vaccination reminder system, to make sure as many children as possible are vaccinated.

“Jeremy Corbyn is not only trying to waste 2020 having two referendums – the fact that he doesn’t appear to accept that vaccines are a safe way to protect children from preventable disease shows he will never do what is necessary to regain our measles-free status as a country,” he added.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister pledged action to improve rates, after statistics showed more than 230 cases in the UK during the first quarter of 2019, compared with 284 cases in the whole of 2017.

And Mr Hancock said that he had not ruled out banning unvaccinated children from school.

There are now estimated to be 90,000 five-year-olds who have not had both doses of MMR.

Prof Helen Bedford, Professor of Child Public Health, Institute of Child Health, UCL, said: “The UK vaccine programme is highly successful, but uptake rates need boosting after a small decline over the past few years.  It is encouraging that the Conservative party recognise the importance of reminding parents about vaccines due.”