§ Dr. TwinnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the most recent rates of uptake for childhood immunisations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanI am pleased to say that the uptake rates for childhood immunisations in England continue to improve. In 1988–89, the overall uptake for measles increased to 80 per cent. (from 76 per cent. in 1987–88), and whooping cough reached 75 per cent. (from 73 per cent.). Uptake for diphtheria, tetanus and polio remained at 87 per cent. We believe that the actual improvement has been better than these figures indicate, because the 1987–88 returns included a small percentage of children above the age of two years, while those for 1988–89 are confined to those under that age.
A total of 85 English districts have now reached an average of 90 per cent. or more for diphtheria, tetanus and polio uptake, and 20 have done so for measles. A total of 56 districts have achieved 80 per cent. or more for whooping cough. Notifications for measles are at their 822W lowest levels since records began, while the peak of the current whooping cough upsurge is likely to be very much lower than its predecessors.
We are planning to maintain this pace of improvement in 1989–90 and subsequent years. Renewed efforts will be made to ensure that immunisation uptake for 1989–90 and 1990–91 (the first two full years in which MMR vaccine has been available) achieves the target of 90 per cent. coverage sought by the World Health Organisation. Ninety per cent. is also the upper target for general practitioners in their new contract, which commences in April.