The proportion of two-year-old children in England receiving the MMR vaccine has fallen, according to NHS statistics. In 2014-15, 92.3% of children had the jab, down from 92.7% the previous year, which was the highest level ever recorded.
The target rate of 95% is needed to prevent the spread of measles, mumps and rubella. Some parts of the country, particularly London boroughs and the south east, have less than 80% of children immunised, raising concerns about potential outbreaks.
MMR coverage had been increasing annually since 2007-08 after a discredited health scare linking the vaccine to autism caused rates to plummet from 92% to 80% between 1996 and 2004. This led to an unvaccinated generation and a major measles outbreak in 2012 with nearly 2,000 cases.
Dr Mary Ramsay of Public Health England said it was pleasing that coverage remains high but urged parents to check their children's vaccination status. Meanwhile, some areas in the West Midlands and northern England exceed 95%, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all report rates above 95%.
Dr David Elliman of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health described the fall as disappointing but noted the small decline could be due to data collection issues amid NHS pressures. Measles can cause severe complications including pneumonia and brain inflammation.
