Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated as experts launch a campaign to boost uptake in the UK amid rising cases of whooping cough and measles.
Researchers at the Oxford Vaccine Group, which is part of the University of Oxford, have developed an animation that, they say, focuses on the “critical role” whooping cough jabs play in protecting against infection, which can cause serious complications such as pneumonia.
The whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine is offered to all pregnant women between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to protect their babies, but most recent figures suggest uptake is around just 60%.
There have been nine reported deaths of infants from whooping cough in England since November last year, while the latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency show 12,200 confirmed cases between January and July 2024.
Meanwhile, data also shows World Health Organisation targets of 95% vaccination for under-fives are being missed in England, which includes the six-in-one jab which protects against whooping cough, polio and tetanus, as well as the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
Since January, there have been 2,465 confirmed measles cases reported in England, which is very contagious and can causes serious complications such as swelling in the brain.
The campaign, which aims to educate and inform the public about how vaccines protect not only individuals but entire communities – including those who are vulnerable such as newborns and older adults – was created by the Vaccine Knowledge Project team at the Oxford Vaccine Group.
The Vaccine Knowledge Project was formed by leading paediatrician and vaccine scientist Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, who is also director of the Oxford Vaccine Group.
Sir Andrew said: “The recent outbreaks of measles and whooping cough all across the UK, which have arisen because of falling vaccination rates, threaten the lives of the vulnerable, especially young children.
“Vaccines are the umbrellas that keep the rain away from all those who shelter beneath them.
“If we are to stay dry, we must put the umbrellas back up.
“Make sure that every child is immunised today.”
The new resources showcased by the Vaccine Knowledge Project come in a short animation and a graphic booklet.
Charlie Firth, vaccine knowledge and public engagement manager at the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: “We have recently seen drops in vaccination levels for various diseases.
“Whether that be drops in whooping cough vaccines in pregnant people leading to deaths in babies or an increase in cases of measles.
“There has been a range of reasons for this drop in vaccination, ranging from vaccine hesitancy, inequities in access to services, and complacency.
“Many of the diseases we are trying to protect against have not been seen in a long time, and so the perception within the general public of the importance of vaccination seems to have dropped.”
He said as rates of certain diseases increase, the most vulnerable in society suffer, including babies who are too young to be vaccinated or people with certain health issues that mean they cannot be immunised.
Mr Firth said: “These are the people that rely on herd immunity, or sometimes called community immunity.
“This is when a high percentage of our population is vaccinated, it becomes difficult for infectious diseases to spread because there are not many people who can be infected.
“So the people who cannot be vaccinated themselves are still afforded some protection.
“But when these levels of population vaccination drop, the community protection given to these vulnerable individuals disappears and they quickly face a higher risk of disease.
“We want to emphasise the message that vaccines only work for the vulnerable if we all use them.
“By getting vaccinated, you are protecting yourself, but you are also protecting your friends, you are protecting your family, and you are protecting the most vulnerable in our community who cannot get vaccinated themselves.”