Health visitors will go door-to-door to deliver vaccines to children in England amid alarm that one in five are entering primary school without protection against the killer disease, the Guardian reports.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that at least 95% of children receive vaccine doses for each disease to achieve herd immunity. However, none of the main children's vaccines in England met their target in 2024-25. There were also stark differences in consumption levels across the country.
To tackle the crisis, health visitors will begin offering children a range of life-saving jabs in their own homes as part of a £2 million pilot program starting in January.
Health visitors are nurses or midwives who specialize in working with families with children under five to identify health needs as early as possible. Under the scheme, they will target families who do not have a GP appointment or who are experiencing difficulties with travel costs, childcare, language barriers or other issues preventing them from seeing a GP.
The children will be identified by the NHS using GP records, visit records and local databases, sources said. Health visitors will be trained to safely administer vaccines and have difficult conversations with parents, including those who have concerns about the safety of vaccines.
Twelve pilot zones will launch in January across five regions of England – London, Midlands, North East and Yorkshire, North West and South West – to improve coverage and protect children from illness. If successful, the scheme will be rolled out globally in 2027.
Wes Streeting, Health Secretary, said: “Every parent deserves the chance to protect their child from preventable diseases, but some families have a lot going on that could mean they are missing out.
“Commuters are already trusted in communities across the country. By allowing them to offer vaccinations, we are leveraging existing relationships and expertise to reach families who need support most.
“Fixing the NHS means tackling health inequalities head on. By meeting families where they are, we don't just improve vaccination rates – we build a health service that works for everyone.”
The children's vaccination drive comes as the NHS remains under “extreme pressure” due to high rates of flu and other winter infections. Health care leaders brace for surge over the next few days as temperatures plummet.
Half a million people in England have had their flu jab delayed compared to the previous year. But health officials said Wednesday it's not too late for unvaccinated people to protect themselves for the rest of the winter.
The decision to send health workers with vaccines directly to children's homes comes amid serious concerns about their rollout in England.
According to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data reviewed by the Guardian, only 91.9% of five-year-olds received one dose of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine in 2024-25, the lowest level since 2010-11.
Just 83.7% of five-year-olds have received both doses of the MMR vaccine, down from 83.9% last year and the lowest level since 2009-10. Uptake of the first dose of MMR vaccine after 24 months was 88.9% in 2024–25, again the lowest since 2009–10.
In July child dies in Liverpool after being infected measles, the first such death in the UK in a decade. Only 73% of children in Liverpool have received the required two vaccinations to protect against measles.
The UK is the worst among the G7 countries for MMR vaccination coverage, as of 2024 only, according to WHO. 89% of children received their first MMR vaccine.. Globally, millions of children are at risk of fatal diseases due to stalled or halted vaccination coverage, according to a study. the largest study of its kind.
Coverage of the Hib/MenC vaccine, which protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b and meningitis C, was 88.9% among five-year-olds in England, the lowest level since 2011-12.
Meanwhile, coverage of the four-in-one preschool booster vaccine, which protects against polio, whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria, was just 81.4% among five-year-olds in 2024-25.
This means around one in five have no protection when entering primary school and represents the worst level of attendance since current records began in 2009-10.
The chickenpox vaccine will be distributed on the NHS across England from Friday.
The jab, which costs around £150 in private clinics and pharmacies, will form part of a new combination immunization as part of the childhood vaccination programme.
Ministers hope this will not only protect some young people from serious complications from the virus, but will also prevent parents from taking time off work to look after their children if they become infected.
The varicella vaccine, also known as the varicella vaccine, will be part of the new MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) combination vaccine.
It will be offered in GP practices from Friday and is expected to protect around 500,000 children each year. MMRV will eventually replace MMR, which is offered to children at 12 and 18 months.
