- Measles threat rises amid vaccination decline
- Labour aims child health renewal
- Government urges current measles vaccinations
Last night, there was a call for immediate action to address the measles threat, given warnings that over 50,000 children had not received their second birthday vaccinations in the previous year.
Compared to pre-pandemic levels, Labour predicted a substantial plummet in MMR vaccination rates in England.
They cited statistics indicating that approximately 60,000 children were unvaccinated against measles by the time they turned two years old last year.
According to NHS recommendations, all children should have received a dose of the MMR vaccine by the age of one.
The study also revealed that 40,000 children had not received a solitary dose of the MMR vaccine by the time they turned five years old. Since 2019/20, projections anticipate an increase of approximately 10,000.
Following a significant surge in confirmed measles cases, England is conducting the analysis. The cases amounted to 149 between January 1 and September 30, compared to 54 for the entire year of 2022.
Shadow Health Minister Karin Smyth expressed concern last night that an alarming number of children are unprotected against measles, putting many at risk of developing severe illnesses as the number of cases rises.
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Government’s Struggle and Labour’s Objective
Despite the critical protection vaccines provide, the government has been unable to maintain MMR vaccination rates and has instead presided over a steep decline in children’s health services.
She stated that the objective of the Labour Party was “to ensure that the greatest number of children are protected against contagious diseases by renewing child health services.”
Last night, the Department of Health and Social Care issued the following statement: “We strongly advise parents and guardians to ensure that their children’s vaccinations are current. If necessary, they should schedule an appointment to update them.”
“It is critical that routine childhood vaccinations are current, as this continues to be one of our strongest safeguards for public health,” the spokesperson continued.
The United Kingdom has a world-leading offer, and in an effort to increase coverage, we have conducted multiple catch-up campaigns since the Covid-19 pandemic, including London-specific campaigns for MMR and polio and a national catch-up campaign for MMR.
