Following a “worrying” reduction in routine vaccine uptake, health authorities are asking parents to get their children immunised against measles, mumps, and rubella.
By 2022/23, only 92.5 percent of children had received the first dose of the MMR vaccine at the age of five, and 84.5 percent had received the second dose.
The findings, which indicate that more than one in ten people are at risk of sickness, are the lowest in 12 years, dating back to 2010-11.
The British Society for Immunology described the drop in vaccine uptake as “concerning,” given that measles cases in England are currently “on the rise.”
If the deadly insect spreads to other regions of the body, such as the lungs or brain, it can cause severe issues such as pneumonia, blindness, seizures, and meningitis.
In order to prevent epidemics, WHO recommends that at least 95% of children receive immunisations for diseases that can be prevented.
However, according to NHS data, no routine immunisation scheme met the 12-month criteria.
At eight weeks of age, newborns in the United Kingdom are immunised against meningitis B and rotavirus.
They also receive the “6-in-1” vaccine, which protects against polio, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria, hepatitis B, and haemophilus influenzae type b, a germ that can cause life-threatening infections.
The doses are topped up at 12 weeks and 16 weeks.