Key Summary
- 18.6% of children starting school have missed their pre-school booster, leaving them vulnerable
- Booster protects against polio, whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria; MMR1 uptake has stabilised at 91.8%
- NHS and ICBs running outreach to raise awareness and boost vaccination rates
The UKHSA and NHS has urged parents to make sure that children have not missed any vaccination.
The latest data on childhood vaccines (April 2024-March 2025) published by the UK Health Security Agency, shows 18.6 percent children have not received their pre-school booster jab.
The data reports on children who turned 5 between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
The latest data, at 81.4 percent, is nearly 5 percent lower than the peak, however, outside of London, the coverage for England was 85 percent.
The concern has increased as the new school term is about to commence with large number of children remaining unvaccinated and vulnerable.
The 4-in-1 pre-school booster protects the children from the deadly polio, whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria.
This vaccine boosts the protection provided by previous vaccines given to babies.
The NHS and region ICB teams are trying to spread awareness about the booster shots, and are conducting outreach programmes.
The data indicates that the decline in the MMR1 vaccine has stabilised with 91.8 percent receiving their first dose by age 5 years.
“Too many children are starting primary school without complete protection against preventable and potentially serious illnesses like measles, whooping cough and mumps,” said health minister Stephen Kinnock.
“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,” he added.
