Parents face hurdles vaccinating children

Parents are being prevented from vaccinating their children because of obstacles such as difficulty booking appointments and a lack of reminders on what jabs are needed and when, a report suggests.

Child health experts say "practical or logistical reasons" are discouraging families more often than fears over the vaccines.

Vaccine uptake in the UK has fallen over the last decade, leading to outbreaks of measles and whooping cough.

UK health officials say they are committed to working with the NHS to improve vaccine uptake among children.

Since 2022, no childhood vaccine in the UK has met the World Health Organisation target of 95% of children vaccinated, which ensures protection of vulnerable people. As a result, measles and other preventable diseases have made a comeback.

A commission of experts from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) spent a year looking at why.

Dr Helen Stewart, officer for health improvement at RCPCH, said the steady decline in vaccination rates in a wealthy country like the UK was "extremely concerning".

But she said vaccine hesitancy, when parents waver over getting their children vaccinated, "is only part of a very complex picture".

"The reality is that there are many who simply need better support and easier access to appointments," Dr Stewart said.

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Source: BBC News, 1 July 2025