Survey Reveals Increase in Parental Concerns Over Childhood Vaccines
The government study revealed that approximately one in six parents were not planning to follow the recommended vaccination schedule for their child.
A government survey conducted by the UK Health Security Agency (HSA) found a thirteen percent increase in parents expressing concerns about administering vaccinations to their children.
The survey included about 1,000 parents with babies aged between two months and three years, four months, and another 1,000 parents with children aged between three years, four months, and five.
An increasing number of parents reported encountering information that raised concerns about childhood vaccinations, mostly sourced from social media and online search engines.
By 2023, 20 percent of parents expressed worries regarding vaccines after reading online content, a significant rise from six percent in 2022.
However, the majority of parents still trust the NHS (85 percent) and healthcare professionals (86 percent) as their primary sources of vaccine information.
The number of vaccinations recommended for children has significantly increased since the 1980s, leading to questions about the necessity of multiple injections and a debate on vaccine safety.
No Vaccine Uptake Meets the WHO’s Target
NHS data reveals that no vaccines on the UK schedule have met the World Health Organization’s 95 percent uptake target in 2022–23 or in previous years.
The proportion of children who received their first MMR jab by age five dropped to 92.5 percent, the lowest since 2010–11.
Despite rising concerns about vaccine safety, the majority of parents still believe in the efficacy (89 percent), safety (84 percent), and trustworthiness (82 percent) of vaccines.
16 Percent Do Not Agree That Vaccines Are Safe
While 59 percent of parents reported no recent concerns about childhood vaccines, 83 percent felt confident their children would receive all offered vaccines before consulting a health professional.
Following discussions with healthcare providers, fourteen percent of the seventeen percent initially hesitant about vaccines changed their minds in favor of vaccination.
In the UK, children are not required to receive vaccines for school attendance, but efforts to convince hesitant parents have intensified in response to measles outbreaks in certain regions.
‘Inserts State Lack of Safety Evidence’
Anna Watson from Arnica, a pro-choice parental group focused on natural immunity, expressed concerns about vaccine safety and the lack of thorough testing for potential long-term effects.
