With one in ten children not up to date with their vaccinations and at risk of becoming seriously unwell, this World Immunisation Week (24-30th April) the NHS is encouraging people to make sure they are up to date with their routine vaccinations at all life stages.

In particular, the NHS is asking all parents to check if their children are up to date with their MMR vaccines to protect them against measles, mumps and rubella. As many as 20% of children in Liverpool are currently behind with the MMR vaccination, which is considerably higher than the national average of 10%.

 To become fully protected children need two doses of the vaccine, the first at age one year and the second at 3 years 4 months.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) have predicted a rise in measles cases across Europe in 2023, making it is more important than ever to make sure that your child is fully protected.

Measles can make a child seriously unwell and can lead to pneumonia with rare long-lasting conditions such as blindness and brain damage.

To make sure your children are up to date, please check your child’s red book or call your GP surgery to check your child’s medical records.

You can also learn more about the MMR vaccination by watching this short film clip from Nathan Askew, Chief Nurse at Alder Hey Children’s hospital here