Healthcare professionals and parents are being urged to ensure children are vaccinated, as part of the WHO’s European Vaccination Week.
The theme of the week is ‘closing the immunisation gap’, and aims to boost vaccination rates across the continent. PHE has stated that vaccine uptake rates in England are among the highest in Europe, but an increase of roughly 2000 children a week is still needed to reach the WHO’s 95% target for MMR vaccination in two year olds.
‘Back in the days before a vaccine was available, hundreds of thousands caught measles and around a hundred people died each year,’ said Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE. ‘But now, the whole community benefits from the herd immunity the safe and effective MMR vaccination offers – fewer people get ill and the disease’s spread is restricted.’
The MMR vaccine is offered to infants in England, as part of the NHS Childhood Immunisation Programme, with a second dose offered at three years and four months of age. Children who missed out are still recommended to get the vaccine. Pregnant women are also urged to get vaccinated before they give birth.
‘This is an opportunity to consign measles to the history books. The cases we are seeing currently in England are being confirmed mainly in adolescents and young adults, and it’s never too late for them to have the vaccine,’ added Dr Ramsay.