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A report from the RCPCH (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health) looks at barriers for parents in getting their children vaccinated.
Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush, Assistant Professor in Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said:
“This report adds to the urgent need to address a decade-long trend of declining immunisation coverage in the UK, and what needs to be considered as we approach changes to the childhood immunisation schedule.
“A striking finding from the report’s survey is the difference in how healthcare professionals view misinformation as a key barrier for parents, but parents hold entirely different concerns around practicalities of access to support and a strong desire for continuity of care for their children.
“These parents are telling us that they are being failed by an inflexible and fragmented immunisation system across the UK.
“The report helps to bring together the broad range of research evidence, but the findings in themselves are not new. While the report examines vaccination in the UK, it’s important to note that most of the data and conclusions are representative of England, and so the barriers identified may look different across the devolved administrations where delivery strategies vary.
“We know that declining coverage is happening amidst an unforgiving cost of living crisis in the UK, characterised by a generational decline in living standards, political austerity and unequal pandemic recovery. The report rightfully calls for more investment to enable easier access for parents, but it’s unclear how this would be implemented amidst lingering uncertainty around major structural reform of NHS England, where Integrated Care Boards are being expected to slash operational costs by as much as 50%.
“To reverse the decline in vaccine uptake, it’s important that we continue to see immunisation services receive sufficient resources to effectively engage communities and ensure capacity. Public health cannot just hope for change, it needs a commitment to sustained investment to meet parents where they need it, and to aim for high and equitable vaccination coverage.”
Prof Sir Andrew Pollard FRCPCH FMedSci FRS, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, and Ashall Professor of Infection and Immunity, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, said:
“This is an important report that uses the voices of both healthcare professionals working in the system and parents to identify the key issues they face in getting the jabs done. This timely report from RCPCH highlights the decline in vaccine coverage which has been documented over the past decade with June 2025 figures showing a decline in MMR (first dose) from 94% to 92% by 5 years of age and a fall in the second dose from 88% to 84% over this period. We need to have 95% of the population covered to avoid outbreaks caused by this killer virus and there should be no surprise that we have saw almost 3000 cases last year. The picture is mirrored across Europe and the recent outbreak in Texas killed two children already in 2025. We urgently need to tackle the difficulties faced by families in conveniently accessing the health system for their children’s jabs and for trusted advice on immunisation to allay their fears and rational concerns about injections given to their babies and toddlers. In addition, education about science in general and immunisation in particular needs a major boost with teachers, community and religious leaders, health professionals and even politicians feeling confident in the defence of this critical and life-saving public health tool. To fail in these endeavours risks the future of our health and unnecessarily ends the lives of some children.”
Prof Helen Bedford, Professor of Children’s Health, UCL, said:
“This timely report from the Royal College Paediatrics and Child Health highlights vaccination as the best way to protect our children from illness, disability and even death resulting from infectious diseases. In the UK, developments in the vaccination programme over many years mean the overwhelming majority of parents vaccinate their children without hesitation. Once common diseases such as measles, the cause of almost 1000 deaths in the 10 years alone before the introduction of measles vaccine in 1968, became rare. However, more recently this incredible progress has not just halted but reversed. A worrying decline in the numbers of children receiving their vaccines resulted in the largest outbreak of measles in over 30 years and, last year, 11 young babies died from the effects of whooping cough, infections preventable through vaccination.
“Unfortunately, there are large and widening inequalities in vaccine uptake with the most disadvantaged children less likely to be protected. In the face of adversity, it can be challenging for many families to simply get to vaccination appointments, particularly if they are offered at inconvenient times or inaccessible locations. Lack of information about which vaccines are due when, or no opportunity for parents to have a chat with a health professional about their questions and concerns can all present unsurmountable barriers to vaccination. The RCPCH report highlights solutions to reverse this decline, including easier access to vaccination services and improved information provision in a range of formats and locations. All this requires investment in infrastructure and staff. Our children have the right to be protected from preventable diseases which can cause illness, disability or even death. Investing in vaccination services is an economically smart, urgently needed strategy to safeguard a healthy future for our population.”
Dr Doug Brown, Chief Executive of the British Society for Immunology said:
“Today’s report from the RCPCH contains many important findings, and we commend the College on their thorough, constructive analysis of such an important issue. The report has sought input from a range of expert stakeholders in the vaccine policy space, and we are particularly encouraged to see that they engaged with parents and young people too. Vaccination remains the safest and most effective way to protect children and the wider population against many avoidable diseases, including measles, RSV and polio – all of which can be life-threatening.
“Ensuring consistent and convenient access to vaccine services, providing easy to understand information about vaccinations, and giving parents the space to ask questions, can support families in making the evidence-based choices for their children’s health. The RCPCH’s report highlights that many practical barriers currently exist for those considering vaccinating their children, and these extend far beyond vaccine hesitancy.
“We urge the government to carefully consider the findings of the RCPCH’s report when planning vaccine services going forward, particularly in decisions relating to the funding and implementation of the NHS Vaccination Strategy, which will be pivotal in turning the tide of declining vaccine uptake rates in the UK.
“By working with families to better understand the barriers they face in accessing vaccination services, including accessing their child’s vaccination history, providing judgement-free environments to address their questions, and making sure education resources are available to everyone, we can empower parents to make informed choices around vaccination.”
‘Policy report: Vaccination in the UK: Access, uptake and equity’ by the RCPCH Commission on Immunisation, 2024-25 will be published at 00:01 UK time on Tuesday 1 July 2025, which is when the embargo will lift.
Declared interests
Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush: “No COIs to declare.”
Prof Sir Andrew Pollard: “Professor Pollard is chair of JCVI which provides independent scientific advice on vaccines to DHSC. The comment above is given in a personal capacity.”
Prof Helen Bedford: “No COIs.”
Dr Doug Brown: “Doug is a Trustee of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC).”