One in five children starting school not fully vaccinated

The UKHSA and NHS England are calling for parents and healthcare workers to catch up on children's missed vaccinations, as statistic show that almost 1 in 5 children are starting primary school not fully vaccinated.

The call comes ahead of the start of the new school term.

In England over the last 10 years, the coverage or uptake rates for the pre-school booster peaked at 86.3% in 2015 to 2016. The latest data, at 81.4 per cent, is nearly 5 per cent lower than the peak.

The 4-in-1 pre-school booster helps protect against 4 serious illnesses - polio, whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria. It is given from 3 years and four months of age.

The ‘6-in-1’ vaccine is offered to babies aged 18 months. Uptake measured at 5 years in England has increased by 0.2 per cent to 92.8 per cent.

Dr Mary Ramsay, director of immunisation at UK Health Security Agency, said: "Ensuring all our children starting primary school are fully protected is essential to keep them safe and give them the best opportunity to thrive at school. We know that most parents want to do what is best for their children and do have confidence and trust in NHS childhood vaccinations, which save thousands of lives and prevent tens of thousands of hospital admissions every year. But it can be hard juggling busy lives and work, finding time to book and get to the GP appointments.

"Far too many children will not be fully protected and safe when starting school and are at risk of serious diseases, such as measles and whooping cough, that have in recent years caused outbreaks. Measles, being the most infectious disease, is the ‘canary in the coalmine’ and a wake-up call that urgent action is needed to stop the very real risk of other diseases re-emerging.

"That is why there needs to be a concerted effort in providing these vitally important vaccines, to make time to speak and reassure any parents who may have concerns and make it as easy as possible for their children to get vaccinated.
"Parents should check their children are up to date with all their jabs and, if not, contact their GP practice as soon as possible."

Health minister Stephen Kinnock said: "Too many children are starting primary school without complete protection against preventable and potentially serious illnesses like measles, whooping cough and mumps.
"We know parents want to do right by their children and we’re working with the NHS to make it easier for all families to access these life-saving vaccines.
"Vaccines save thousands of lives every year and prevent countless hospital admissions. I urge all parents to check their child’s vaccination record and contact their GP practice if any jabs are missing."