South Tyneside recorded the highest proportion of young children in England receiving their first dose of the MMRV vaccine, according to provisional figures for August. The data shows 91.3% of children aged 15 months in the borough had been given the jab, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
Regional Uptake Highlights
The North East continues to see high take-up rates for the vaccine. North Tyneside was narrowly behind its southern neighbour in the latest figures, though the data can fluctuate due to the relatively small populations involved. In July, Sunderland was top.
By comparison, the wider North East and Yorkshire region had a rate of 79.6%. Some parts of the country see almost half of children unvaccinated at that age, with Hackney in London reporting just 53.9%.
Quarterly Data and New Vaccine
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) collects separate quarterly data tracking how many children have had the jab by age 2. On that measure, Northumberland leads with 95.4% of youngsters having received their first MMR dose, with Sunderland, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and County Durham all in the top 20.
Last year, it was announced that the traditional MMR vaccine was replaced with a new version that also includes protection against varicella, which causes chickenpox. This came into force on January 1. Ahead of this, then care minister Stephen Kinnock said: "We're giving parents the power to protect their children from chickenpox and its serious complications, while keeping them in nursery or the classroom where they belong and preventing parents from scrambling for childcare or having to miss work."
He added: "This vaccine puts children's health first and gives working families the support they deserve. As part of our Plan for Change, we want to give every child has the best possible start in life, and this rollout will help do exactly that."
