Uptake of MMR vaccine failing to hit target level

THE number of children being immunised with the three-in-one MMR vaccine is still too low, official figures disclosed today.

The target level is 95% but latest quarterly figures show that for two year-olds, the proportion has fallen from 92.8% to 92.3%.

But over the full year, the figures showed an increase - 92.4% compared to 90.6% before.

There were also signs that Scotland is close to achieving a World Health Organisation target of 95% uptake of the first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine by the age of five.

The vaccine was introduced in 1988 but uptake levels began to fall away after 1998 after a controversial study suggested it was linked to autism.

The alleged link was fiercely disputed by many health experts and uptake levels later began to pick up.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Executive said: "MMR uptake for the year to the end of March still shows an upward trend towards our target of 95%."

Tory health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon called the figures "worrying", and said that every parent should be offered the single vaccine alternative.