The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is today issuing an urgent call to parents to ensure their children catch up on missed vaccinations before they head to the classroom, as UKHSA scales up the Childhood Immunisation Marketing Campaign across England amid fears of a further surge in measles cases as the new term begins.
The campaign, delivered by UKHSA in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, will remind parents and carers that their children may miss out on protection against serious diseases, including measles, whooping cough, meningitis, diphtheria, and polio.
Since Autumn 23, there have been several major measles outbreaks in the West Midlands, North West and London, with sporadic cases across the country – resulting in the highest number of cases in England since 2012.
This prompted the launch of wide-ranging MMR catch-up activities targeting communities with low uptake led by NHS and other partners between August 23 and April 24 for children who missed measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines.
An MMR Evaluation Report published today by UKHSA assesses the impact of the catch-up activity. It shows that parents are coming forward and that there has been a significant increase in MMR uptake, particularly among deprived and ethnic communities.
The report shows between August 23 and April 24, the NHS delivered 180,000 additional doses, with over 51,000 of these given to children aged five or under over 13 per cent of previously unvaccinated children aged five years or under were vaccinated with dose 1 (MMR1) during the campaign period compared to baseline and a 4.9% increase in uptake of dose 2 (MMR2) in black, black British, Caribbean, or African children aged between three years, seven months and five years.
However, MMR uptake rates are still too low in some areas of England, and there is still potential for outbreaks, particularly as children start mixing more when starting or returning to school.
Over the past decade, uptake levels of childhood vaccines offered through the routine NHS vaccination programme in England have been falling across all vaccines, including those that protect against whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, meningitis and diphtheria – with England no longer having the levels of population immunity recommended by the World Health Organization that is needed to prevent outbreaks. Crucially, lower vaccine uptake within communities is directly linked to wider health inequalities.
Encouragingly, the MMR Evaluation also found that by the end of April 2024, for MMR1, the greatest increases in coverage in children under five years were observed in London, which has some of the lowest uptake rates in the country. For MMR2, the greatest coverage increases in children under five years were observed in the North East and Yorkshire. The largest coverage increases for MMR1 and MMR2 were consistently seen in ethnic groups with historically lower MMR coverage. For both MMR1 and MMR2, the greatest increase was observed in the most deprived areas.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said, “As a mum and doctor, it is especially tragic to see kids suffering when these diseases are so easily preventable. Two MMR jabs offer the best and safest protection against measles. If unvaccinated, children are at risk of serious illness or life-long complications. No parent wants this for their child.
“It is encouraging that parents, whose children have missed vaccines are now coming forward, but we are a long way from ensuring all are protected and safe. And importantly vaccination is also about not spreading the disease to others who may be more vulnerable. Measles is highly infectious and is still circulating in many areas across the country. It only takes one case to get into a school or nursery where many children are unprotected for numbers to suddenly surge.
“Our campaign will be visible across multi-media channels and sees children urging their parents to get them protected. Parents should check their child’s vaccinations Red Book to ensure they are up to date with MMR and all their vaccines. If unsure, contact your GP practice, who can check and provide the vaccinations your child needs. Don’t put it off, please act today.”
