WIREDGOV

The number of children who have had their MMR jab, protecting them against measles, mumps and rubella has reached a record level in Wales, Deputy Minister for Health Vaughan Gething has revealed.

The latest annual figures for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine show that for children at the age of two, uptake of the first dose of MMR is now at 96% and uptake of two doses of the vaccine among five-year-old children now stands at 93%.

Progress has also been made in vaccinating older children who missed out receiving the jab at a younger age. At 16 years of age, 95% of teenagers have now received one dose of MMR and 89% have received two doses.

In a statement to Assembly Members, the Deputy Minister said that across Wales in 2013-14, 88% of children had completed the course of recommended childhood immunisations and were fully up to date by their fourth birthday - an increase of 6% from 2012-13.

Mr Gething said:

“Vaccines are a safe and simple means of protecting individuals and the population as a whole from potentially life-threatening diseases.  

“Our commitment to improve MMR vaccination rates has seen uptake gradually increase. The latest reported figures are at the highest levels ever recorded in Wales.

“The measles outbreak, which was centred on Swansea in 2013, offered a timely reminder of how life-threatening diseases can return if we do not maintain high immunisation levels.

“Progress on improving take-up of routine childhood immunisation has been significant and our target to ensure all children are fully up to date with all scheduled vaccinations – including MMR – by the age of four is already achieving benefits.  

“This bodes well for the future, although we need to make every contact with young people count so that as many people as possible are fully up to date with MMR and all other vaccines.”