BY BETH GREGORY
THE proportion of two-year-olds in England having the MMR vaccine this year has fallen, according to NHS statistics.
In 2014-15, 92.3 per cent of children were given the jab to protect them from measles, mumps and rubella.
Some parts of the country had less than 80 per cent of children immunised against the infections.
Between 1996 and 2004, vaccination rates fell from around 92 per cent to 80 per cent, due to the health scare linking the MMR jab to autism.
This led to an "unvaccinated generation" susceptible to the infections which culminated in the biggest measles outbreak in England when nearly 2,000 cases were reported in 2012.
Since 2007 coverage was increased year after year and eventually reached record levels of 92.7 per cent before the latest dip in vaccination rates.
Dr Mary Ramsay said: "We urge all parents to check that their children are up-to-date with their vaccinations and to contact their GP as soon as possible if they are unsure so that no child misses out."
Nowadays, people do not hear about the above diseases as much, which I think has led people to becoming complacent.
Less people are considering the risks and are unaware that some cases result in fatality if the vaccination is not received.
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