There's a reason child vaccination rates are falling - and it's not social media
As child immunisation rates fall across the UK, one clinic in west Yorkshire is taking aggressive steps to boost immunisations
The decline in child vaccination rates in Britain over the past 15 years is a growing concern. While anti-vaxxer social media sentiment plays a role, public health experts believe convenience and fewer face-to-face contacts with medical professionals are the primary reasons. Between 2014 and 2021, the share of five-year-olds in England with the four-in-one jab fell to 81% from 89%, and MMR jab coverage dropped to 84% from 88%.
Britain's vaccination rates fall behind other European nations, and politicians are considering mandatory immunisation, a policy once common in Europe. The shortage of health visitors and GPs, who remind parents of vaccinations, and the decline in patients seeing the same GP contribute to parents not building trusted relationships with doctors.
The clinic in Keighley, Yorkshire, addresses this issue by bringing vaccines to a convenient location, making it easy for parents to receive immunizations for their children.
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