Doctor appeals to parents as vaccine uptake falls

The uptake of routine vaccinations to prevent diseases such as measles has fallen nationwide

Parents in Barnsley have been urged to have their children vaccinated against preventable diseases amid a decline in routine uptake of immunisations.

More than 500 cases of measles have been reported in England this year, according to government data, while earlier this month a child in Liverpool became the second to die from the disease in the past five years.

Barnsley councillor Dr Alex Burnett said using inoculations to overcome disease was a "triumph of human society" and he was "filled with sadness" at the decline in uptake.

He told a council meeting: "In the name of those around the world who [cannot] access these safe, life-saving vaccines, please get you and your children vaccinated."

Dr Burnett said: "The thought of a child dying is one that sends chills into the heart of every parent."

He condemned "those who spread lies and division" through vaccine misinformation or conspiracy theories, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"At the turn of the 20th Century, nearly one in every four children born in Barnsley died," he said.

"Two of the leading causes were smallpox and measles."

He asked people to get vaccinated in memory of the "thousands of Barnsley children who died of preventable infectious diseases before the advent of vaccines".

Barnsley Council's public health team has been carrying out targeted work with residents to address and understand vaccine hesitancy, particularly in groups where uptake is notably low, such as among eastern European migrants.

Four community champions have been recruited to do work including leading focus groups and distributing information in multiple languages.

Dr Burnett welcomed the measures, but stressed that barriers to vaccination went beyond cultural hesitancy.

He said: "This is not a problem solely confined to any one ethnic group.

"Not being able to get time off work and not being able to afford transport costs to GPs also are barriers to vaccination that need addressing."

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