Introduction to Low Vaccination Rates
The intake of child vaccinations is the lowest that it has been for more than a decade, with a death from measles in Liverpool again highlighting the need for higher awareness of the dangers of not getting vaccinated. According to a report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), none of the routine child vaccines have reached the recommended goal of the World Health Organization since 2021.
Current Vaccination Rates
The admission rates of some local authorities are as low as 60%, while the England rate for the last quarter of 2024/25 for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) was 88.8%, compared to 92.7% ten years ago. The latest figures from British health authorities (UKHSA) show that there were 145 new measles cases in England in July. With outbreaks across Europe and elsewhere, public health officials are concerned that families may bring the virus back to the UK when they return to school from summer vacation.
Decline in Vaccination Rates
Routine vaccinations in childhood largely consist of the 6-in-1 vaccine, the MMR vaccine, and the MenB vaccine. These vaccines are administered free of charge in two or three doses before children are five, most of them in the first year. The World Health Organization recommends that countries set goals of 95% for all three vaccines to ensure herd immunity and protect those who are immunized and cannot have vaccines themselves.
History of Decline
The decline in vaccination rates began in 2013/14 when the MMR recording reached a maximum of 92.7% at the age of two. The MMR rates were consistently the lowest in the UK, with areas such as London and the northwest experiencing particularly low levels. In Hackney, East London, only 60% of children had received both MMR jabs up to their fifth birthday in 2023/24.
Reasons for Decline
Although the recent decline began a decade ago, a much sharper decline happened in the nineties. The two-year MMR recording in England rose from 91.8% in 1995/96 to 79.9% in 2003/04. This happened after the British doctor Andrew Wakefield published a reported report in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet in 1998, which connected the MMR vaccine with autism. The study was later discredited, and Wakefield was banned from practicing medicine.
Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic
The increased prevalence of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic saw a revival in the "Anti-Vax" sentiment, with many questioning the quick introduction of the jabs. Others have resettled in certain environments, such as health and social welfare in the UK and in most of the federal government departments in the US, against mandatory vaccines, citing a violation of freedom of choice. The hesitation also turned out to be associated with some minority communities that have associated experts due to the disproportionate results of these groups with a general distrust of health services.
Role of Misinformation
Conspiracy theories about social media and misinformation have been trained unnoticed, as used by Microsoft founder Bill Gates to pursue people’s movements. In recent times, US President Donald Trump has expressed feelings that are given on views of vaccine skeptics. While his comments do not indicate this directly, they seemed to reproduce the unfounded claims in Wakefield’s study.
Lack of Access
A health expert for children told that the main problem was a lack of access. Everything from the knowledge of how to book an appointment up to the means to get there can be an obstacle for children to get vaccinated. People may not know when vaccines are due, how to make an appointment, or have the means to get there. For some parents who suffer from the effects of poverty, a step can be too far to pay a bus price to bring your child to a GP operation, although they understand that vaccination is very important.
Staff Shortage
A lack of health visitors and other employees who can answer questions from vaccine-accompanying parents also affects the vaccination rates. Parents want to ask questions, but unfortunately, they cannot always answer or even have an opportunity to have a discussion due to the lack of staff. Then they contact other sources of information such as social media or the Internet, where we know that there is a lot of disinformation.
