Pre-school booster jab rates nearly 5% below ten-year peak

A significant proportion of children who returned to school in England this year did not receive their pre-school booster jab, the latest annual uptake data has shown.

Findings reveal that a fifth of children in England who turned five in the 12 months to April 2024 did not receive the vaccine.

The figures, published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), show 18.6% of children turning five between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 were not given the jab.

According to the data, the latest uptake rates (81.4%) are nearly 5% lower than their peak over the last 10 years – 86.3% in 2015-2016. Outside of London, coverage for England was 85%.

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The pre-school ‘4-in-1’ booster, given from three years four months of age, helps protect against polio, whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria.

The jab boosts the protection provided by previous vaccines given to babies, including the ‘6-in-1’ jab offered to those aged 18 months.

The latest figures show uptake of the 6-in-1 vaccine measured at five years in England increased by 0.2% to 92.8%, just under 3% short of the 10-year peak of 95.6% in 2016-2017.

Early results from the released data indicates that the decline in the MMR1 vaccine has stabilised, with 91.8% receiving their first dose by age five.

Overall childhood vaccination coverage in England stands at 81.4% but varies significantly by area (upper tier local authorities), and continues to be lowest for all the uptake indicators in London.

Areas in the north consistently perform better than elsewhere.

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Pre-school booster rates for Cumbria (Cumberland Council and Westmoreland and Furness Council) stand at 94.3%, with high rates also reported in County Durham and East Riding of Yorkshire (93.7%), Barnsley (92.8%) and Northumberland (92.3%).

Responding to the latest figures, UKHSA and NHS England are asking parents to check their child’s vaccine records and catch up on any missed vaccinations with their GP practice.

Dr Mary Ramsay, director of immunisation at UKHSA, said: ‘Far too many children will not be fully protected and safe when starting school and are at risk of serious diseases, such as measles and whooping cough, that have in recent years caused outbreaks.

‘Measles, being the most infectious disease, is the “canary in the coal mine” and a wake-up call that urgent action is needed to stop the very real risk of other diseases re-emerging.’

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This October a children’s flu vaccine service will be launching as a pilot in pharmacies. The move has been described as a ‘show of faith from our colleagues in the NHS’, according to Alastair Buxton, director of NHS services at Community Pharmacy England (CPE).

This article was first published by our sister title The Pharmacist.