UKHSA campaign to drive up childhood vaccinations in the South West
Around 1 in 10 children in the region are not fully up to date with all vaccines
Parents and carers in the South West are being reminded to get their children vaccinated.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is launching a new multi-media marketing campaign across England.
They say it's to remind parents and carers of the risk of their children missing out on protection against serious diseases that are re-emerging in the country.
It comes as the latest weekly update on measles cases in England shows there have been another 69 cases in the past week, bringing the total number of laboratory confirmed measles cases reported since 1 October 2023 to 650, with 11 cases identified in the South West.
Data for July-September 2023 shows that just over 90% (92.4%) of 5-year-olds in the South West are fully up to date with their vaccines, with just under 90% (89.7%) fully protected against, measles, mumps and rubella.
Professor Dominic Mellon, Deputy Regional Director at UKHSA South West said:
"Vaccine uptake in the South West is generally higher than other parts of England, with around 9 out of 10 children protected, but we can’t be afford to complacent.
"With vaccine uptake in some communities being significantly lower than this, particularly in cities and urban areas, there is now a very real risk of seeing cases of diseases the vaccines protect against in these areas.
"We need an urgent reversal of the decline in the uptake of childhood vaccinations to protect our communities.
"Through this campaign we are particularly appealing to parents to check their children’s vaccination status and book appointments if their children have missed any immunisations.
"The ongoing measles outbreak we are seeing is a reminder of the very present threat.
"While the majority of the country and South West is protected, there are still high numbers of children in some areas that continue to be unprotected from preventable diseases.
"It is not just their own health that can suffer, but other unvaccinated people around them such as school friends, family and those in their community could also experience serious infections.
"Unless uptake improves we will start to see the diseases that these vaccines protect against re-emerging and causing more serious illness."
The UKHSA campaign goes live on Monday 4th March with a video advert told from the perspective of children and in their voices.
The campaign theme and materials, based on insight and feedback from parents in the North West, were developed by UKHSA in partnership with DHSC Marketing, Liverpool City Council, NHS England, NHS North West and NHS Greater Manchester.
Uptake levels of childhood vaccines offered through the routine NHS vaccination programme in England have been falling over the past decade across all vaccines, including whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, meningitis and diphtheria.
England no longer has the levels of population immunity recommended by the World Health Organization that is needed to prevent outbreaks.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: "Parents want what is best for their children – and that includes the vital protection that vaccines provide from preventable diseases.
"This campaign is an important step to engage local communities and highlight the importance of immunisation, as diseases like measles are not illnesses of the past.
"We want to make sure parents know how and where they can get essential jabs for their children as quickly as possible.
"I want to encourage parents to get their children immunised, particularly if they are behind on their immunisation schedule. Please check your children’s vaccination record and book in an appointment to get the jabs they need."
To counter this decline, UKHSA is co-ordinating its national marketing campaign with an NHS operational MMR catch up campaign.
Areas with low uptake will be a focus for support and parents of children aged from six to 11 years will be contacted directly and urged to make an appointment with their child’s GP practice for any missed MMR vaccines.
Steve Russell, National Director for Vaccinations and Screening at NHS England, said:
"The MMR vaccination offers the best protection against becoming seriously unwell, and while an increase in measles cases is a global issue, the NHS in England is doing all it can to ensure people have the best possible protection, which is why we have expanded our MMR catch up campaign even further in recent weeks and have been contacting hundreds of thousands of families, urging them to come forward.
"Two doses are needed to get maximum protection, so as well as sending reminders to parents and guardians of children up to five who have yet to get full protection, the NHS has been asking all parents and guardians of children aged six to 11 who have missed one or more doses of the MMR vaccine to book a catch up at their GP practice, or through MMR pop-ups in schools and other convenient places.
"Measles is a serious illness, and in some cases can lead to having to be admitted to hospital for treatment, so the message is clear: if you or your young ones aren’t vaccinated, you aren’t protected, and it is vital you come forward as soon as possible for the MMR jab."