Peterborough continues to miss target for measles, mumps and rubella jabs for children

Peterborough has fallen below the agreed target for children's vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) for the second running, new figures show.

According to data from the NHS, only 75.7 per cent of youngsters in Peterborough had received both doses of the MMR vaccine by their fifth birthday in 2022-23.

That is well below the 95 per cent target that is set by the World Health Organisation.

It was also a fall from the 77.5 per cent coverage that was achieved the year before.

And across England, 84.5 per cent of five-year-olds had the second jab of the vaccine by 2022-23 – the lowest level recorded since 2010-11.

It has triggered a warning that a failure to have the vaccination could leave youngsters at risk from life-changing and even deadly diseases.

The city also failed to reach the national 95 per cent target for babies given immunisation against meningitis B, rotavirus and polio, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenzae type b.

In the UK, babies are offered immunisation against meningitis B and rotavirus at eight weeks old.

They are also given the “6-in-1” jab, which helps fight polio, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenzae type b – a bacteria that can cause life-threatening infections.

In Peterborough only 84.7 per cent of babies received their 6-in-1 vaccine by their first birthday, just 87.9 per cent were protected against pneumococcal, and 83.4 per cent of babies had a jab against meningitis B while 80.3 per cent were given the rotavirus vaccine.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, consultant medical epidemiologist at UK Health Security Agency, said: "The diseases that these vaccines protect against, such as measles, polio and meningitis, can be life-changing and even deadly.

"No parent wants this for their child especially when these diseases are easily preventable.

And she urged parents: “Please don’t put this off, check now that your children are fully up to date with all their vaccines due. Check your child’s red book and get in touch with your GP surgery if you are not sure."

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We urge parents and carers to check that their children are up to date on their vaccines.”