Health leaders stress importance of MMR vaccine

Vaccination uptake for children in Kent is above the national average

Public health leaders in Kent and Medway have urged parents and carers to help children catch up on measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations.

Measles, while easily spread and potentially dangerous, is preventable with two doses of the MMR vaccine.

In 2023/24, 84% of five-year-olds in Kent had both doses of MMR while the proportion for Medway was 80% - down from 86% and 82% respectively.

While this was only a slight dip on the previous year, Kent County Council's director of public health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, said "any drop off in protection is concerning".

He said: "Now, fewer children are getting protected and this highly infectious disease is back, with over 500 confirmed cases in England since the start of the year."

While Dr Ghosh acknowledged that "Kent and Medway's vaccine rates remain higher than some", they still fall short of the 95% recommendation from the WHO.

As part of national changes to immunisations to boost uptake, from 1 January next year, children born on or after 1 July 2024 will be offered the second MMR dose at a new 18-month appointment.