Measles, mumps and rubella immunization in UK 2023/24, by country of the UK

The MMR vaccine in the United Kingdom is a combined vaccine which immunizes against measles, mumps and rubella. In 2023/24, 85.6 percent of children in Scotland had received the second dose of the vaccine by their fifth birthday, compared to 83.9 percent of children in England. 

Rise of measles in recent years

In 2018, there were 989 cases of measles in England and Wales, this was the highest number of annual recorded cases since 2013. From 2000 to 2019, cases of measles generally increased in England and Wales. 

Views towards vaccines in the UK

In the UK most of the population believe in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. A 2018 survey of British respondents showed that 89 percent of the population believed that vaccines are important for children to have. In the same survey question, sixteen other European countries had a higher belief in the importance of child vaccinations than the UK, compared to twenty-one other countries which scored lower than the UK.