The percentage of the English child population immunised with vaccines for diseases including Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) is rising - but is still at a lower level than in other UK countries, an NHS Information Centre report shows today.

In 2009-10, 88.2 per cent of children in England had received the MMR vaccine by their second birthday, compared to 84.9 per cent in 2008-09, according to; NHS Immunisation Statistics, England 2009-10.

The percentage continues to rise following a low of 79.9 per cent in 2003-04. However the current figure is still lower than the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of more than 95 per cent and compares to 92.2 per cent in Wales, 93.7 per cent in Scotland and 92.2 per cent in Northern Ireland.

Regionally in England, the highest percentage of children at two years vaccinated for MMR was in South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) at 91.4 per cent. The lowest percentage was in London SHA at 81.9 per cent.

The increase in vaccination coverage in 2009-10 may be due to a number of factors including improvements in data quality and reporting, as well as efforts to increase vaccination coverage.

The report, which summarises immunisation coverage as reported by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), also shows that in England in 2009-10:

• 92.7 per cent of children completed a primary immunisation course against Meningitis C by their first birthday; a rise from 91.2 per cent in 2008/09. This compares to 95.9 per cent in Wales, 97.0 per cent in Scotland and 97.5 per cent in Northern Ireland.
• 95.3 per cent of children reaching their second birthday had completed primary immunisation courses against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTaP/IPV/Hib). This exceeds the WHO 95 per cent target for the first time since the first year of the combined vaccine was reported in 2006-07 and compares to 97.5 per cent in Wales, 98.4 per cent in Scotland and 98.5 per cent in Northern Ireland.
• 92.9 per cent of children aged 12 months had completed a primary course of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), compared to 91.3 per cent in 2008-09. This compares to 96.0 per cent in Wales, 97.2 per cent in Scotland and 97.5 per cent in Northern Ireland.

NHS Information Centre Chief Executive Tim Straughan said: “Following the low in MMR vaccinations among children in England six years ago, the percentage of children now receiving this vaccine is continuing to climb, although it is still short of the World Health Organisation's target of more than 95 per cent.

“While the England figures are rising, a greater percentage of children in other UK countries are immunised against MMR and also for other diseases like Meningitis C, Polio, Diphtheria and Tetanus.”

The full immunisation statistics can be found online at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/immstats0910

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care (The NHS IC) is England's authoritative, central, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a wide range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researcher, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS IC also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.

2. The information in this publication comes from three data sources as follows:

• The Health Protection Agency (HPA) Centre for Infections (CfI) for information on childhood immunisation coverage at ages one, two and five. This information is collected through the Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly (COVER) data collection for PCTs.
• The NHS Information Centre (NHS IC) for information about the BCG programme and reinforcing doses of diphtheria, tetanus and polio. This data is collected on the KC50 return from known providers of immunisation services.
• The Department of Health (DH) for information regarding persons aged 65 and over immunised against seasonal flu. This information is produced in conjunction with the HPA.

3. Currently the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that on a national basis at least 95% of children receive three primary doses of diphtheria, tetanus, polio and pertussis in the first year of life and more than 95% receive one dose of a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine by two years of age.

4. Consultation with PCTs suggests that there may be a number of reasons for the increases in vaccination coverage for routine childhood vaccinations reported through the COVER programme including:

A Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) catch-up campaign to increase vaccination coverage in 2008-09.

Increased efforts to improve vaccine coverage in some PCTs in response to Vital Signs (a new approach to planning and managing priorities).

The introduction or continued implementation of new child health information systems in some PCTs which, in most cases, was reported to have led to improvements in data quality.

Efforts by some PCTs to improve data quality/reporting.

5. HPV data is not included in this publication but is available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_111676.pdf

6. For media enquires please call 0845 257 6990 or contact mediaenquiries@ic.nhs.uk