The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom will soon be launching a campaign offering polio, measles, mumps and rubella vaccination for children under 11, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom will soon be launching a campaign offering polio, measles, mumps and rubella vaccination for children under 11, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Thursday.
The agency said the need for this measure was caused by lower vaccination rates in London compared to the rest of England.
"In response, the NHS in London will soon be delivering a catch-up campaign, offering polio jabs and other routine childhood vaccines such as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) to unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged 1 to 11 years, during the summer term," the UKHSA said in a statement.
Children will be able to receive vaccines in Primary schools and clinics, and a special emphasis will be put on support for groups with the lowest vaccination rate, according to the statement.
The UKHSA said 87.6% of children in London under one year were vaccinated against polio, compared with 92.1% in all of England, and the vaccination rate among pre-school children in London was even lower at 69.9% compared to 83.4% in the whole region.
In late June, the UKHSA declared a "national incident" after traces of the polio virus were found in the London sewers. According to the latest UKHSA data, the level of spread of the polio virus in London has decreased, but the risk of new outbreaks still remains.
