City comes bottom for MMR jabs in region

More than a quarter of 5-year-olds starting school in Birmingham this autumn are not fully vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

New figures place the city bottom of local authorities in the West Midlands, with just 74.1% of children having had both doses of the combined MMR jab, compared to 90.4 in Shropshire.

Even a single MMR jab was found to give a child up to 93% protection against the diseases. Eight out of every 100 five-year-olds have had no inoculations whatsoever.

The UKHSA is urging parents to make sure children are fully vaccinated, to prevent a range of serious infections across the region.

The figures are included in the UKHSA's Annual COVER Data on Childhood Vaccines 2025-26.

It shows that across the West Midlands, around one in five children starting primary school this September, are not fully vaccinated against a range of potentially serious infections.

Two doses of the MMR vaccine gives a child maximum protection against measles, mumps and rubella - in rare cases, measles can prove fatal.

Separate data from the UKHSA shows that since January, there have been 81 cases of measles in Birmingham, the second highest number for any local authority in England.

There has been concern for some years about low levels of immunisation, especially in urban parts of the region. Across England, more than 83% of children have both MMR doses by the age of five, although in London that figure is 70%.

Angela Cartwright is a consultant in health protection at the UKHSA in the West Midlands.

She said "It's easy to forget that vaccinations save thousands of lives and prevent tens of thousands of hospital admissions every year.

"Making sure children are fully protected before starting primary school is essential to keep them safe and give them the best opportunity to thrive at school."

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