Children at risk of deadly illnesses as jab take-up slumps

JABS for potentially fatal childhood diseases including measles and whooping cough have fallen to their lowest rate in more than a decade.

- By Stephen Beech

That means the UK remains below the World Health Organisation's 95% coverage threshold for all routine vaccines by the age of five.

Experts say the slump, which appears to be part of growing vaccine hesitancy, leaves Britain at risk of serious outbreaks of deadly diseases.

There were 2,911 confirmed measles cases in England last year the most since 2012 as well as 14,894 instances of whooping cough, and 11 babies died.

Lowest

Before five, children are meant to have the measles, mumps and rubella jab, a six-in-one vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B and hepatitis B, plus the pneumococcal conjugate inoculation.