For the first time since records began there have been no deaths recorded from Meningococcal C in the past year, a government report shows.
Previously MenC has killed up to 78 people a year and those who have survived have experienced serious complications, such as brain damage and amputations.
The Director of Immunisation’s report says that since the introduction of the meningococcal C conjugate vaccine in 1999, cases of MenC in children have fallen by 95% and over 500 deaths have been prevented.
The report also reveals that parents’ confidence in the MMR vaccine is increasing. A survey last November found that 73% of parents believed that the MMR vaccine is safe, compared to 63% in 2003. Just over 85% of children now receive one dose of MMR vaccine by their second birthday.
Dawn Primarolo, Public Health Minister said: “This report underlines the need for vaccination and proves that our programme is helping to halt diseases in their tracks. It is proof that the UK has one of the most successful immunisation programmes in the world.”
Director of Immunisation, Professor David Salisbury, said: “It is imperative that we continue to do all we can to encourage take up of vaccines – particularly MMR.
“The evidence on MMR is clear. Population studies and studies in individual children show no link between the vaccine and autism. We need to put that scare behind us and make sure our children are as well protected as possible”.
