Action urged to halt decline in vaccination uptake among children

The Scottish Government must act urgently to stop a decrease in the number of children being vaccinated getting any worse, Scottish Labour has said.

It comes after Public Health Scotland declared there is a “pressing need” to halt a decline in child immunisation uptake rates across the country.

In a report published on Tuesday, the body said the uptake of vaccinations among teenagers is recovering post-Covid but has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

It also pointed to a “significant variation” between the most and least deprived areas of Scotland, with lower levels of uptake in areas of high deprivation.

Scottish Labour public health spokeswoman Carol Mochan said: “For generations, vaccinations have reduced tuberculosis and other life-changing infections to distant memory, but we can’t take this progress for granted.

“The stark reality is that on the SNP’s watch, children in deprived areas are more likely to fall ill with diseases that should be consigned to the history books.

“This SNP Government must act urgently to engage with communities and ensure children receive the protection they need.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “This report recognises that vaccination uptake rates in Scotland are amongst the highest in the world, however we know there is more to do to ensure continued protection from preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough.

“While it’s reassuring to see that childhood and teenage immunisation rates remain high, these programmes are vital to the health and wellbeing of all children in Scotland.

“We would urge parents or carers to take their children to be vaccinated when invited, so they can be protected against serious diseases such as measles, meningitis and pertussis.

“We are working closely with Public Health Scotland and health boards through the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme to raise awareness and increase uptake across all of our programmes.

“This will ensure we reach every community, including more deprived areas, through initiatives like mobile vaccination units.”