Coverage declines in nine of the 12 routine child vaccinations

New figures from NHS Digital have found that coverage has declined for nine of the 12 routine vaccinations measured at ages 12 months, 24 months or five years in 2017-18 in England compared to the previous year. One vaccine increased and two remained at the same level. Coverage for the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine for children reaching their second birthday fell to 91.2% in England in 2017-18 compared to 91.6% in 2016-17 according to the Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics. This is the fourth consecutive year that MMR coverage has decreased. The World Health Organisation (WHO) target is 95%.