Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated as new NHS figures show nearly one in six had not received both doses of the MMR vaccine by the age of five.

Two doses of the vaccine give long-term protection against measles, mumps and rubella, which can cause serious illness and complications such as blindness and meningitis.

The latest annual data on vaccinations, published today by NHS England, shows 16.1% of children who turned five between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 had not received both doses of the MMR vaccine – the lowest level since 2010-11, although 91.9% of five-year-olds had been given at least one dose.

The figures also show one in nine children (11.1%) who had their second birthday in 2023-24 did not get the first dose of the MMR vaccine, and one in 12 babies (8.8%) had not received all three doses of the 6-in-1 vaccine, which includes protection against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio, by the age of one.

The NHS and GP practices have been sending reminders to the parents and carers of children not fully vaccinated, encouraging them to ensure their little ones are protected.

So far, NHS efforts have led to thousands more young people getting protected – with data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showing over 13% of previously unvaccinated children had one dose of the MMR jab between August 2023 and April 2024.

The NHS is encouraging parents and carers to check their children are protected against these illnesses and, if not, to contact their GP practice to book an appointment. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also warned there could be a ‘back to school surge’ of measles.

Minister for Public Health and Prevention Andrew Gwynne said:

“Vaccines are our best form of protection against serious illness. I urge all parents to take up vaccinations to keep children safe as they return to the classroom or nursery this autumn.”

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. Just speak to a healthcare professional like a school nurse if you’d like more information about vaccines, and contact your GP practice if you’d like to arrange a vaccination appointment for your child.”

NHS England’s annual Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics report, co-authored with the UKHSA, contains information on the routine vaccinations offered to all children at the ages of 12 months, 24 months and five years.

London had the lowest uptake levels in England with only 73.1% of children having received both doses of the MMR vaccine by the age of five, and 86.2% of children getting all three doses of the 6-in-1 vaccine by their first birthday.

Immunisation is important to safeguard children and disrupt transmission, as unvaccinated children can easily catch very contagious diseases, which even in mild cases can need several days off school. Figures from the UKHSA show there have been 2,465 cases of measles this year.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said:

“Our drive to increase vaccine uptake must continue so that no child is left at risk of serious illness or life-long complications.

“These vaccines offer the best protection as children start their journey into nursery and mixing more widely.

“Many who missed out on their vaccinations have already been caught up, but more needs to be done to ensure all those eligible are vaccinated.”

A new poll for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has found over half of parents said having a sick child is the most stressful aspect of family life, with a campaign urging them to make sure their children are protected.

The NHS and GP practices have also been sending reminders to families of those who are not fully vaccinated, and details of vaccinations can be found in a child’s Red Book. GPs will provide catch-up doses to children who have missed any jabs.

The NHS is also urging pregnant women to get vaccinated against whooping cough to protect their babies, as evidence shows it is over 90% effective in preventing infant deaths if mums-to-be are vaccinated at the optimum time during pregnancy.

More information on vaccinations is available at nhs.uk/vaccinations.

Read the full report

Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics, England, 2023-24

Notes to editors

1. This is a press release that refers to official statistics and is handled in line with T3.8 of the Code of Practice for Statistics.
2. Coverage is defined as the number of persons immunised as a proportion of the eligible population. The formula for the calculation of coverage is: (Total number of eligible persons immunised / Total number of persons in eligible population) x 100.
3. Data on 14 routine childhood vaccination measurements is included in this report; these measurements relate to 10 vaccinations. In addition, data is published for two selective neonatal vaccination programmes (BCG and hepatitis B) as well as flu.
4. The nine Government Office regions are North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West.
5. List of vaccinations, ages at which coverage is measured and coverage for past three years:

6. A recent evaluation of MMR catch up activity between August 2023 and April 2024 showed that over 13% of previously unvaccinated children aged 5 years or under were vaccinated with the first MMR dose during the period, compared to the baseline.
7. The survey for the Department of Health and Social Care was undertaken by One Poll during August 2024, using a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK parents with children aged 6 months to 10 years.