MMR Report: CSP study reveals widespread variations in take up of the triple MMR vaccine

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Published: 6 Feb 2006
Author: CSP Press Office

New CSP study shows Westminster has the lowest uptake for MMR jab in England. Chelmsford has best record.

A new study released today by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) shows that uptake of the triple MMR jab is far lower in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea than anywhere else in England.

The study, which looks at the percentage of children immunised by their fifth birthday using data from the Department of Health’s NHS Immunisation Statistics 2004-2005, shows that uptake levels in England range from just 11.7 per cent in Westminster to 91.1 per cent in Chelmsford.

Across England as a whole, an average of 73.3 per cent of children had the MMR jab in 2004-2005. The CSP figures show rates of MMR immunisation in the London region lag behind the rest of the country at 57.2 per cent. The North East region has the highest MMR take up rate in England, with 80.4 per cent of children vaccinated.

A full league table of MMR vaccination uptake across all 302 Primary Care Organisation (PCO) areas in England can be viewed by clicking on the Excel document link below. The PCO areas with the lowest and highest uptake in the country are as follows:

NHS Immunisation Statistics - England 2004-2005 by provider trust
Percentage immunised by their 5th birthday

Areas with the lowest MMR vaccination take up

		% immunised - MMR first and second doses
	England - Average	73.3
rank
1	Westminster	11.7
2	Kensington and Chelsea	33.3
3	Lewisham	42.7
4	Greenwich	43.8
5	Bromley	46.1
6	Lambeth	46.3
7	Southwark	48.0
8	Wandsworth	51.7
9	Camden	52.0
10	Newbury and Community	52.2
11	Croydon	52.5
12	Craven, Harrogate and Rural District	52.8
13	Tower Hamlets	53.3
14	Reading	54.8
15	Haringey Teaching	55.3

 Areas with the highest MMR vaccination take up

Areas with the highest MMR vaccination take up

		% immunised - MMR first and second doses
	England	73.3
rank
287	Melton, Rutland and Harborough	86.4
288	Charnwood and North West Leicestershire	86.4
289	North East Oxfordshire	86.7
290	Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire	86.9
291	Barnsley	86.9
292	South Stoke	87.6
293	Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth	87.9
294	Hinckley and Bosworth	88.0
295	Chesterfield	88.0
296	Amber Valley	88.1
297	Maldon and South Chelmsford	88.8
298	North Stoke	89.5
299	West Cumbria	90.2
300	South Leicestershire	90.4
301	Staffordshire Moorlands	90.6
302	Chelmsford	91.1

CSP chair of council Sarah Bazin says:

‘Measles, mumps and rubella are highly contagious diseases and can have devastating long-term consequences.

‘As an organisation that represents leading healthcare professionals, the CSP is acutely aware of the need to ensure people are able to make informed decisions about their own health and the health of their children.  This study demonstrates the absolute necessity of getting healthcare messages correct. 

‘While the research that sparked controversy over the MMR jab has been discredited, uptake remains patchy across the country, showing that when panic and confusion reign public health can be seriously compromised.’

ENDS

Notes for editors

For more information please call the CSP press office on 020 7306 6616/6628/6163 or mobiles 07786 332 197, 07795 564 240, 07900 160 349

The study used data from the Department of Health’s NHS Immunisation Statistics 2004-2005 and looks at the percentage of children given their first and second MMR jab by their fifth birthday. The geographical areas shown in the league table above refer to Primary Care Organisation areas, which in most cases are the same as the areas covered by Primary Care Trusts.

In a small number of cases physiotherapists may be called upon to treat long-term effects of measles, mumps and rubella including arthritis, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and arthralgia (pain in a joint caused by inflammation).

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is the professional, educational and trade union body for the country’s 47,000 chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and assistants. A full archive of earlier CSP press releases can be found by visiting www.csp.org.uk