MMR jab

Wednesday, October 1, 2003

Immunisations with the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in England fell by two percentage points to 82 per cent in 2002-03 from 84 per cent in 2001-02, according to official statistics published last week. Just under one in five two-year-olds in England were not immunised. But Melanie Johnson, public health minister, hailed as 'encouraging' more recent statistics from the Health Protection Agency that showed a 6.6 per cent rise between March and August 2003 in the uptake of MMRamong 16-month-old children. She said this 'suggests that we are seeing a renewed confidence among parents and carers that MMR is the best way to protect children'. Other figures showed that in 2002-03, 94 per cent of children in England were immunised against diphtheria and tetanus - the same level as in 2001-02, but lower than the peak of 96 per cent in 1996-97.