UK worst in G7 for MMR jab rates, as 30m children worldwide not fully immunised

Millions of children worldwide are at growing risk of serious illness and death due to declining infant vaccination rates, experts have warned, while the UK ranks worst of major western economies for MMR immunisation.

Figures released by the World Health Organization and Unicef show that more than 30 million children worldwide are not fully immunised against measles, mumps and rubella and 14.3 million children have not received a single routine infant vaccination.

While the figures show that measles coverage improved slightly last year, reaching 2 million more children than in 2023, vaccination rates have gone backwards in some middle- and high-income countries and stagnated in other regions, leaving children increasingly vulnerable to outbreaks of the disease.

Across 53 countries in Europe and central Asia, vaccination coverage dropped by an average of one percentage point on 2019 levels. In 2024, more than half of the countries in the region did not meet the 95% vaccination rate required to reach herd immunity for measles. Almost a third reported coverage below 90%.

Unicef warned that without concerted action, millions more children could die or fall seriously ill from measles. Ephrem Tekle Lemango, the chief of immunisation at Unicef, said while more children were being vaccinated overall and global coverage was “inching upward”, progress was “not keeping pace with the threat”.

He said: “In 2024 alone, over 20 million children globally missed their first measles dose and nearly 12 million missed their second – leaving dangerous immunity gaps that continue to fuel outbreaks.

“Measles is one of the most contagious viruses we face. Even small declines in coverage, especially in communities affected by conflict, displacement or weak health systems, can trigger devastating surges. To protect every child, we need to reach 95% coverage with two doses in every district, in every country. Until we do, millions of children remain at risk of serious illness or death from a disease we have the tools to prevent.”

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Source: The Guardian, 15 July 2025