One in seven school starters not immunised against MMR

Public Health England (PHE) is warning that one in seven five year olds may not be fully up-to-date with some routine immunisations, prompting a call for parents to check their child’s Red Book to ensure their children are up-to-date with scheduled immunisations

In the UK, the first dose of the MMR vaccine, which protects against Measles, Mumps and Rubella, is usually given to infants at around 12 months of age. A second dose is given before school, usually at three years and four months of age, to ensure best protection. Two doses of MMR in a lifetime are needed for a person to be considered fully protected. The four-in-one pre-school booster is also usually offered at three years and four months of age and protects against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio.

Based on percentage uptake from latest vaccination coverage figures, PHE estimates that over 30,000 (around 1 in 19) five year olds may still need to receive their first dose of MMR, leaving them significantly more at risk compared to pupils who are fully vaccinated.

Around 90,000 (or 1 in 7) five year olds in England may still need to receive their second dose of MMR vaccine.

Almost 30,000 of these children are in London, meaning that around 1 in 4 primary school starters in the capital don’t have the full protection that the MMR vaccine offers.

Around 100,000 (or 1 in 8) five year olds in England may still need their 4-in-1 pre-school booster that protects against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio.

This means that more than 5% of five year olds are starting reception year having not received any MMR. This leaves them at high risk of measles at a time when outbreaks of the disease are occurring across the country.