Fewer children in Bolton are receiving both doses of their MMR ( measles, mumps and rubella ) vaccine by their fifth birthday. NHS data shows 91.9 per cent of five-year-olds across England in 2023/24 had received one dose of the MMR vaccine, which is the lowest level since 2010/11.
Just 83.9 per cent had received both doses in the latest figures, the lowest since 2009/10. Uptake of the first MMR dose at 24 months stood at 88.
9 per cent in 2023/24 – again, the lowest since 2009/10. Bolton also saw a drop in children receiving both vaccines, with 85.6 per cent of children having both doses in 2023/24 compared with 87.
6 per cent in 2022/23. Cllr Sean Fielding , cabinet member for adults, health and wellbeing, said: “The MMR vaccine is the most effective way of preventing sickness from measles, mumps and rubella. “However, it is only at its most effective if a large enough proportion of people are immunised.
“We’ve seen an increase in vaccine hesitancy following the pandemic, but the conspiracy theories which have often contributed to this have been debunked. “I encourage take up of all the required doses of the vaccine. Like the majority of other people, I had mine as a child and have benefited from its protection.
” The World Health Organisation (WHO) says to achieve herd immunity (which stops illnesses transmitting across the population), at least 95 per cent of children should receive their set of vaccine doses for each illness. The lowest scoring area was Hackne.
