89.5%, and falling: the childhood jab figures UKHSA published this week
What happened
The UK Health Security Agency has published its latest quarterly figures on childhood vaccination. The report covers children who reached their first, second or fifth birthday between April and June 2026. It was published on 24 September 2026 and the page was updated again on 28 September. The headline is a familiar one, and not a happy one. Coverage has slipped again for most vaccines. Across the UK, uptake of the 6-in-1 vaccine measured at 12 months fell by 0.6 percentage points to 89.5%. The first dose of the pneumococcal vaccine, PCV1, fell by 1.6 percentage points to 89.8%. Rotavirus fell by 0.3 percentage points to 87.9%. One vaccine went the other way: MenB rose by 0.9 percentage points to 91.6%. The figures for older children were weaker still. Across the UK, the pre-school booster fell by 1.4 percentage points and the second dose of MMR fell by 1.3 percentage points. UKHSA is blunt about the trend. Coverage 'remains below peaks in coverage reported in the previous 10-year period', and for several vaccines this is 'a continuation of an ongoing declining trend'.
Why this matters
Vaccination is one of the few areas of health where your decision genuinely affects your neighbours as well as your own child. The World Health Organization target is 95%. That number is not arbitrary. It is roughly the level at which a disease like measles runs out of people to infect and stops spreading through a community. Below it, outbreaks become possible again, and the people hit hardest are usually the ones who could not be vaccinated: newborn babies, children having cancer treatment, and people whose immune systems do not work properly. At 89.5% for the 6-in-1, the UK is several points short of that mark. There is better news in the report, and it is worth saying clearly. Both Scotland and Wales exceeded the 95% WHO target for the 6-in-1 and for the first dose of MMR measured at five years. That matters because it proves the target is reachable. This is not a case of a number that no modern country can hit. Two UK nations hit it.
What the evidence actually says
Two things in the report deserve a careful read rather than a quick headline. First, part of this quarter's drop has a technical explanation. The childhood schedule changed. The pneumococcal vaccine is now given at 16 weeks instead of 12, and the second dose of MenB at 12 weeks instead of 16. That means the children in this report had four weeks less time to receive their pneumococcal jab before they were counted, and four weeks more for MenB. That alone helps explain why PCV1 fell by 1.6 points while MenB rose. It does not explain the wider, longer decline, but it does mean the PCV figure should be read with caution. Second, the average hides very large differences between places. UKHSA states plainly that in England coverage 'varies geographically and is lowest for all antigens in London as well as in more deprived areas'. Take London out of the England figures and 6-in-1 coverage rises from 89.2% to 90.4%. Every other vaccine moves up by around a point too. So the picture is not a nation quietly turning against vaccines. It is a mostly well-vaccinated country with real gaps concentrated in particular places and particular communities, often where getting to an appointment is hardest. That is a practical problem as much as a persuasion problem, and practical problems have practical fixes. It is also worth knowing that these quarterly figures are provisional. UKHSA says annual data is more complete and should be used for long-term trends. The direction of travel, though, has now been consistent for years.
Practical advice
If you have young children, the most useful thing you can do this week takes about ten minutes. Check where your child is up to. Your child's red book records their vaccinations, and your GP practice holds the record too. If you are not sure whether a jab was missed, ring the practice and ask them to check. Practices do this all the time and nobody will think you are a nuisance. If something has been missed, it is almost never too late. There is no cut-off age at which the NHS stops offering catch-up doses of routine childhood vaccines. A child who missed MMR as a toddler can still have it, and so can a teenager or an adult who was never vaccinated. If appointments are the obstacle rather than the decision, say so when you ring. Ask about evening or weekend clinics, or whether a health visitor can help. Practices would far rather rearrange than lose a child from the schedule. If you have genuine questions or worries, ask them out loud. Your GP, practice nurse, health visitor or pharmacist are all reasonable people to ask, and none of them will judge you for asking. Vague reassurance helps nobody; a real answer to your actual question usually does. And if a relative is helping with childcare, make sure they know which appointments are coming up. A surprising number of missed jabs are simply missed diaries.
What to know
UKHSA's latest quarterly data shows childhood vaccination coverage falling again across the UK. The 6-in-1 sits at 89.5% at 12 months, short of the 95% WHO target, and the pre-school booster and second MMR dose both dropped by more than a percentage point. Some of the quarterly movement is explained by a change to the vaccination schedule, and coverage is lowest in London and in more deprived areas. Scotland and Wales both beat the 95% target for the 6-in-1 and first MMR dose at five years, which shows it can be done. If you are a parent, check your child's red book or ring your GP practice. Catch-up doses are available, free, and there is no age limit. Sources: UK Health Security Agency, 'Quarterly vaccination coverage statistics for children aged up to 5 years in the UK (COVER programme): April to June 2026', 24 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cover-of-vaccination-evaluated-rapidly-cover-programme-2026-to-2027-quarterly-data ; UK Health Security Agency, 'Cover of vaccination evaluated rapidly (COVER) programme 2026 to 2027: quarterly data', updated 28 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cover-of-vaccination-evaluated-rapidly-cover-programme-2026-to-2027-quarterly-data ; UK Health Security Agency, 'Latest figures highlight ongoing Meningitis B risk for students', 10 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/latest-figures-highlight-ongoing-meningitis-b-risk-for-students This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
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