Conor Stewart
Research expert covering health & pharmaceuticals in the UK & Europe
Immunization rates in the UK - statistics & facts
Immunization is the process of protecting a person from serious diseases. An immunized body receives a small part of the disease, either weakened or destroyed, to enable antibodies to be produced and thus future protection from the illness is created. The World Health Organization has called vaccination a public health intervention with one of the greatest impacts in history, as previously widespread diseases like smallpox have been consigned to the history books. Immunization does not just protect the individual from diseases, it also protects society through herd immunity, preventing the spread of disease to people who may have adverse effects if they contracted a certain disease or could not be vaccinated due to health issues.
Situation in the UK
In 2022/23, Scotland had the highest share across UK countries of children receiving the full dose of the MMR vaccine by their fifth birthday, with a rate of 90.2 percent. The vaccination rate in Scotland was slightly above the respective rates in Wales and Northern Ireland, but much higher than in England, where less than 84 percent of five-year-olds had received the full course of the MMR vaccine. In England, the share of children receiving the full course of MMR immunization has been dropping since 2014. Furthermore, the UK overall had one of the lowest immunization rates in Europe for one-year-olds receiving their first dose of the vaccine.Attitudes towards vaccines in the UK
The current vaccination levels in the UK, particularly with the MMR vaccine, can be reflected in recent insights into parents’ attitudes towards vaccines. While the majority of surveyed parents in England are unconcerned about vaccines, there was a big enough share of respondents who were worried about safety that vaccination levels could and are affected. These concerns manifest in parents not vaccinating their children against measles, mumps, and rubella. Misinformation could significantly hinder vaccine efforts. Almost 40 percent of parents surveyed said they had come across concerning information regarding vaccines, with the majority of this information being seen online, but also friends and families are stated commonly as sources. It can be difficult to prevent misinformation from being distributed online, Healthcare services and governments have a responsibility to allay fears through messaging and campaigns to ensure as many children as possible are protected from preventable diseases.
