There has been good early uptake of chickenpox-containing MMRV, but a measles coverage gap persists across England.
A new UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provisional report for a selected number of childhood vaccines has been published today, providing early indications of the impact of the recent changes to the routine childhood vaccination schedule.
Vaccine coverage for April shows that the new schedule is already helping to provide earlier protection for babies against meningitis B (MenB).
Provisional figures show that in England, coverage of the second MenB dose in 6-month-old babies reached 89.8% in April 2026, a 4.6 percentage point increase compared to April 2025. This follows JCVI advice to move the second MenB dose from 16 weeks to 12 weeks of age from June 2025.
This change was part of a broader series of changes to the childhood immunisation schedule. It included a new 18-month appointment from the 1 January this year to offer the second dose of the MMR vaccine earlier alongside a switch from MMR to MMRV. This offers children protection against chickenpox in addition to measles, mumps and rubella.
Provisional data for April shows that 77.7% (35,366 out of 45,488) of eligible 15-month-olds (those who turned 12 months in January and reached 15 months in April) received their first dose of the MMRV vaccine - providing early evidence that uptake has been sustained following the switch to the new schedule.
However, significant variation persists across England - with MMR/MMRV first dose coverage for April ranging from 72.0% in London to 83.0% in the South West.
Reassuringly, many children do catch up over time with MMR first dose coverage increasing to 92.6% in those aged 5.
The urgency of improving MMR/MMRV coverage is underlined by the latest measles surveillance data, also published today. A further 65 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been reported in England since the last update 2 weeks ago, bringing the total number of confirmed cases between 1 January and 22 June 2026 to 801, compared to 959 cases for the whole of 2025. The majority (482 out of 801, 60%) of these cases were in children aged 10 years and under. In the most recent 4 weeks, London accounted for the highest proportion of cases (49%). Tragically, 2 children in England have died from measles in 2026.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said:
This report provides the first evidence of the positive impact of the changes to the childhood schedule. Giving the second MenB dose earlier means babies are now protected against meningococcal B disease a full month earlier in life.
Childhood vaccines save lives. They are highly effective, free on the NHS and every dose matters. Vaccines not only provide protection for the individual child but can also protect the wider community.
Sadly, we continue to see the consequences of sub-optimal MMR/V vaccine uptake. Confirmed measles cases have risen significantly this year, and 2 children have tragically lost their lives to this disease. Measles is highly infectious and can cause serious complications, yet it is entirely preventable. With uptake rates still well below the level needed to stop outbreaks, I urge every parent to check whether their child is up to date with their vaccinations. It could save your child's life as well protect those too young or too vulnerable to be vaccinated themselves.
Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said:
It is encouraging the vast majority of babies are receiving their second MenB dose on time, which offers potentially lifesaving protection.
Recent changes to the childhood immunisation schedule have made it easier for parents and have been well supported by our incredible NHS who are also now working hard on the MMRV catch-up campaign.
But vaccination rates for children are still too low. These vaccines are safe, effective and protect against serious illness. I'd strongly urge all parents to take up the offer when it comes and to check their children's record to ensure no vaccinations are missing.
NHS England has confirmed that the 2026/27 national vaccines and immunisations catch-up campaign will focus on MMR/V vaccination. The focus is due to recent measles outbreaks and the removal by WHO of England's measles elimination status.
