Official Statistics

Quarterly vaccination coverage statistics for children aged up to 5 years in the UK (COVER programme): April to June 2024

Updated 19 December 2024

This report of the cover of vaccination evaluated rapidly (COVER) programme presents quarterly coverage data for children in the UK who reached their first, second, or fifth birthday during the evaluation quarter (April to June 2024).

The full coverage data (which is broken down by country, NHS England local team (configuration as of 1 April 2018) and NHS England region) is now contained in the separate data file accompanying this report along with data by upper tier local authority (UTLA) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) region.

Main points

In comparison with the previous quarter:

• coverage in England and the UK decreased by 0.1 percentage points for both the 12-month ‘6-in-1’ and 12-month PCV1 vaccines, decreased by 0.4 percentage points for rotavirus and remained the same for the MenB vaccine
• coverage in England and the UK measured at 24 months, increased by 0.3 to 0.5 percentage points for all vaccines, except ‘6-in-1’ which was unchanged
• coverage of the first dose of MMR measured at 24 months (that is, in children who first became eligible between April and June 2023) increased by 0.5 percentage points in England and the UK
• in England, coverage of the first dose of MMR measured at 5 years of age decreased by 0.4 percentage points in England, largely reflecting vaccinations delivered in April to June 2020
• UK coverage for the pre-school booster (DTaP/IPV) decreased by 1.6 percentage points to 82.8% and MMR2 decreased by 0.9 percentage points to 84.3%, reflecting vaccinations that should have been delivered between August and October 2022
• both Scotland and Wales exceeded the 95% World Health Organization (WHO) target for coverage for both the ‘6-in-1’ and MMR1 vaccines measured at 5 years
• in England, vaccination coverage varies geographically and is lowest for all antigens in London
• vaccination coverage measured this quarter, remains below peaks in coverage reported in the previous ten-year period, and for a number of antigens, represents a continuation of an ongoing declining trend in coverage

Coverage at 12 months

Compared with the previous quarter, UK coverage for all vaccines measured at 12 months, with exception of MenB decreased; the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 91.4%, PCV1 coverage decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 93.4%, rotavirus decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 89.1% and MenB remained the same at 91.2%. The previous quarter’s coverage is reflected in Quarterly vaccination coverage statistics for children aged up to 5 years in the UK (COVER programme): January to March 2024.

In England, 12-month coverage of the ‘6-in-1’ decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 91.0%, MenB remained at 90.9%, PCV1 coverage decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 93.1%, while rotavirus decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 88.8%.

In England excluding London, ‘6-in-1’ coverage at 12 months was 92.2%, 1.2 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage; PCV1 coverage was 94.2%, 1.1 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage; rotavirus was 89.9%, 1.1 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage and MenB coverage was 92.1%, 1.2 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage.

In Scotland and Wales, coverage was above 93.0% for all antigens at 12 months, except rotavirus at 92.1%.  In Northern Ireland coverage was above 90% for all antigens, except rotavirus at 88.0%.

Coverage varies by geography and full coverage data by country, NHS England local team (configuration as of 1 April 2018), NHS England region, UTLA and UKHSA region is contained in the separate data file accompanying this report. Coverage for the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine for quarter 1 2024 to 2025 by UTLA measured at 12 months is presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Coverage of the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine measured at 12 months of age in England for quarter 1 2024 to 2025 by UTLA

Coverage of the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine measured at 12 months varies by UTLA. The data underlying Figure 1 is available in the accompanying data file.

In England, coverage for the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine peaked at 94.1% in quarter 1 (April to June) of 2014 to 2015, and at 91.0% this quarter was 3.1 percentage points lower than the peak (Figure 2a). Coverage of PCV1 was comparable to coverage of the previous 2 dose PCV programme (PCV2) in quarter 1 (April to June) of 2020 to 2021, prior to the change to a one dose programme (Figure 2b). Rotavirus coverage this quarter was 2.1 percentage points lower than the peak of 90.9% in quarter 1 (April to June) of 2020 to 2021 (Figure 2d) while MenB coverage was 2.1 percentage points lower than the peak of 93.0% in quarter 3 (October to December) of 2017 to 2018 (Figure 2c).

Figure 2a. Coverage of the primary course of the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine in England measured at 12 months between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025 [note 1]

Note 1: the ‘5-in-1’ (DTaP/IPV/Hib3) vaccine was used prior to August 2017 when it was replaced with the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib3/HepB). As a result, quarter 1 of 2013 to 2014 to quarter 3 2018 to 2019 represent coverage of the ‘5-in-1’ vaccine and quarter 4 of 2018 to 2019 onwards represents the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine.

Figure 2b. Coverage of the PCV vaccine in England measured at 12 months between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025 [note 2]

Note 2: From quarter 4 (January to March) 2020 to 2021 we started to report PCV1 rather than PCV2 to reflect the change in the PCV schedule.

Figure 2c. Coverage of the MenB vaccine in England measured at 12 months between quarter 1 (April to June 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Figure 2d. Coverage of the rotavirus vaccine in England measured at 12 months between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Coverage at 24 months

In the UK, compared with the previous quarter, coverage of the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine remained at 92.9%, PCV increased by 0.4 percentage points to 89.0%, MenB increased by 0.5 percentage points to 88.4%, MMR1 increased by 0.5 percentage points to 89.7% and Hib/MenC increased by 0.3 percentage points to 89.5%.

Compared with the previous quarter, coverage in England for the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine remained at 92.5% and increased by 0.3 percentage points to 88.4% for the PCV booster. Coverage of the Hib/MenC booster increased by 0.4 percentage points to 89.1% and the MenB booster increased by 0.5 percentage points to 87.8%. MMR1 coverage increased by 0.5 percentage points to 89.2%.

At the country level, coverage in Scotland and Wales exceeded 92.0% for all the vaccines offered from the first birthday, and in Northern Ireland, coverage exceeded 88.0%.

Coverage measured at 24-months of age in England excluding London exceeded 89.0% for all antigens. Coverage in England excluding London for the ‘6-in-1’ was 93.6%, 1.1 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage; PCV booster was 90.2%, 1.8 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage; Hib/MenC was 90.8%, 1.7 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage; MenB coverage was at 89.5%, 1.7 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage.

Excluding London, MMR1 coverage was 90.8%, 1.6 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage. Compared to the previous quarter, MMR1 coverage increased in all regions between 0.1 to 0.8 percentage points: South East by 0.6; North East and Yorkshire by 0.1; London and Midlands both by 0.7; East of England by 0.4; North West by 0.8; and South West by 0.3.

Coverage varies by geography and full coverage data by country, NHS England local team (configuration as of 1 April 2018), NHS England region, UTLA and UKHSA region is contained in the separate data file accompanying this report. Coverage for the first dose of MMR vaccine for quarter 1 2024 to 2025 by UTLA measured at 12 months is presented in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Coverage of MMR1 vaccine measured at 24 months of age in England for quarter 1 2024 to 2025 by UTLA

Coverage of the MMR1 vaccine measured at 24 months varies by UTLA. The data underlying Figure 3 is available in the accompanying data file.

In England, coverage for the ‘6-in-1’, PCV booster, Hib/MenC booster and MMR1 over the past ten years peaked in quarter 4 of 2014 to 2015 (January to March 2015) (Figure 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d).   This quarter, coverage of the ‘6-in-1’ was 3.4 percentage points lower than the peak, PCV booster coverage was 4.0 percentage points lower, Hib/MenC coverage was 3.2 percentage points lower and MMR1 coverage was 3.2% lower. MenB coverage was 1.7 percentage points lower than the peak of 89.5% in quarter 2 (July to September) of 2020 to 2021 (Figure 2e).

Figure 4a. Coverage of the primary course of the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine in England measured at 24 months between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025 [note 1]

Note 1: the ‘5-in-1’ (DTaP/IPV/Hib3) vaccine was used prior to August 2017 when it was replaced with the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib3/HepB). As a result, quarter 1 of 2013 to 2014 to quarter 3 2019 to 2020 represent coverage of the ‘5-in-1’ vaccine and quarter 4 of 2019 to 2020 onwards represents the 6-in-1 vaccine.

Figure 4b. Coverage of the PCV booster in England measured at 24 months between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Figure 4c. Coverage of the Hib/MenC booster in England measured at 24 months between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Figure 4d. Coverage of the MMR1 in England measured at 24 months between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Figure 4e. Coverage of the MenB booster in England measured at 24 months between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Coverage at 5 years

Both Scotland and Wales exceeded the 95% WHO target for coverage for both the ‘6-in-1’ and MMR1 vaccines measured at 5 years.

Both Scotland and Wales exceeded the 95.0% WHO target for coverage for both the ‘6-in-1’ and MMR1 vaccines measured at 5 years.

For the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine, coverage in UK decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 93.3% and in England it decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 92.8%. Coverage of MMR1 vaccine decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 92.2% in the UK and decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 91.7% in England. Coverage at 5 years for these vaccines primarily reflects vaccinations delivered 4 years ago.

MMR2 and the preschool booster (DTaP/IPV) are given from age 3 years and 4 months and reflect vaccinations that should have been delivered between August 2022 and October 2022.

Compared with the previous quarter, UK coverage for the pre-school booster decreased by 1.6 percentage points to 82.8% and MMR2 decreased by 0.9 percentage points to 84.3%, while the Hib/MenC booster decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 89.8%.

In England, coverage for MMR1 decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 91.7%, MMR2 decreased by 1.1 percentage points to 83.6% and the pre-school booster decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 81.8%. Pre-school booster and MMR2 coverage exceeded 89% in Scotland and Wales.

At 5-years, coverage in England excluding London for the pre-school booster (DTaP/IPV) was 84.7%, 2.9 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage;  MMR1 was 93.3%, 1.6 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage, MMR2 was 86.2%, 2.6 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage and Hib/MenC was 90.8%, 1.7 percentage points higher than the overall England coverage.

Compared to the previous quarter, MMR1 coverage decreased in all regions in England between 1.5 (South East) and 4.3 (North West) percentage points. MMR2 also decreased across all regions between 0.3 (North West) and 1.8 (London) percentage points.

Coverage varies by geography and by country, NHS England local team (configuration as of 1 April 2018), NHS England region, UTLA and UKHSA region is contained in the separate data file accompanying this report. Coverage for the second dose of MMR vaccine for quarter 1 2024 to 2025 by UTLA measured at 5 years of age is presented in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Coverage of MMR2 vaccine measured at 5 years of age in England for quarter 1 2024 to 2025 by UTLA

Coverage of the MMR2 vaccine measured at 5 years of age varies by UTLA. The data underlying figure 5 is available in the accompanying data file.

In England, coverage of the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine was 3.2 percentage points lower this quarter than the peak of 96.0% in quarter 2 (July to September) of 2017 to 2018 (Figure 6a).

Figure 6a. Coverage of the primary course of the 6-in-1 vaccine in England measured at 5 years between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025 [note 1]

Note 1: the ‘5-in-1’ (DTaP/IPV/Hib3) vaccine was used prior to August 2017 when it was replaced with the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib3/HepB). As a result, quarter 1 of 2013 to 2014 to quarter 3 of 2021 to 2022 represent coverage of the ‘5-in-1’ vaccine and quarter 4 of 2021 to 2022 onwards represents the ‘6-in-1’ vaccine.

Also in England, MMR1 was down by 3.9 percentage points from a peak of 95.6% in quarter 1 (April to June) of 2017 to 2018. MMR2 was down by 5.0 percentage points when compared with the 88.6% seen in quarter 1 of 2014 to 2015 (figures 6b and 6c). The pre-school booster was 6.8 percentage points lower than at its peak of 88.6% in quarter 4 (January to March) of 2014 to 2015 and Hib/MenC was 4.2 percentage points lower than the peak of 93.3% in quarter 3 of 2015 to 2016 (figures 6d and 6e).

Figure 6b. Coverage of MMR1 in England measured at 5 years between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Figure 6c. Coverage of MMR2 in England measured at 5 years between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Figure 6d. Coverage of pre-school booster (DTaP/IPV) in England measured at 5 years between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Figure 6e. Coverage of the Hib/MenC booster in England measured at 5 years between quarter 1 (April to June) 2014 to 2015 and quarter 1 (April to June) 2024 to 2025

Neonatal hepatitis B vaccine coverage: England

National coverage at 12 months for 5 doses of a HepB-containing vaccine decreased 2.5 percentage points from 94.6% to 92.1% compared with the previous quarter (as seen in the previous quarterly report). Coverage of 6 doses of a HepB-containing vaccine reported for children who reached 2 years of age in the quarter (those born between April and June 2022) increased by 1.6 percentage points to 89.6% compared with the last quarter (88.0%) (see the separate data file accompanying this report).

The quality of neonatal HepB vaccine data is variable and coverage by former local teams can be based on small numbers. As such, data should be interpreted with caution. Where an area reported no vaccinated children, a check was made to ensure that this was zero reporting rather than absence of available data.

Neonatal BCG vaccine coverage: England

The data captures BCG coverage at age 3 months for children born 1 January to 31 March 2024 and at age 12 months for children born 1 April 2023 to 30 June 2023; it was provided for all local authorities in England and is published in the data tables associated with this report. Measured at 3 months, coverage in England was 77.4% and measured at 12 months, it was 84.5%.

Data sources and methodology

Data was received from all health boards in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England, local teams and Child Health Record Departments provided data for all UTLAs and the associated general practices.

All English data were collected through NHS Digital’s Strategic Data Collection Service. Individual local authority and GP data, including numerators, denominators, coverage and relevant caveats where applicable, is available in the data tables associated with this report. GP level data was censored when individual values were less than 5.

As part of ongoing data quality assurance in Wales, an improvement in the algorithm used to produce the dataset that the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme routinely use for COVER reports has been made by Digital Health and Care Wales. This has led to increased completeness of vaccination data and uptake figures in Wales; primarily in children aged 4 years and older.

Background information

This publication is released on a quarterly basis and aligns with financial quarters. The analysis follows this pattern; any discussion of quarters aligns with the financial year whereby quarter 1 starts in April.

Children who reached their first birthday in this quarter would have been scheduled to receive their primary course (third dose) of the combined diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis vaccine, inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine, haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine and hepatitis B vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB3 or ‘6-in-1’ vaccination) which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B, and their primary course (second dose) of MenB vaccine which protects against meningococcal group B disease at the age of 16 weeks, between August 2023 and October 2023. They would have also been scheduled to receive a single dose of PCV (protecting against pneumococcal disease) and 2 doses of rotavirus vaccine at age 12 weeks, between July 2023 and September 2023.

Except for the rotavirus vaccine which is only offered up to 6 months of age, all other vaccines are available to children in the current cohort at any time and would have been captured in this report if given by their first birthday. Children born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers who reached their first birthday in this quarter should also have received monovalent hepatitis B vaccine at birth and at 4 weeks of age.

Children who reached their second birthday would have been scheduled to receive their primary course (third dose) of the ‘6-in-1’ vaccination between August 2022 and October 2022 and their first MMR vaccination, a Hib/MenC booster (protecting against haemophilus influenzae type b and meningococcal group C disease), MenB booster and PCV booster at age one year between April to June 2023. Children born to HBsAg positive mothers, who reached their second birthday in this quarter (born April to May 2022), were scheduled to receive a third dose monovalent hepatitis B vaccine at one year of age.

Children who reached their fifth birthday would have been scheduled to receive their primary course (third dose) of the ‘6-in-1’ vaccination between August 2020 and October 2020, their first MMR and the Hib/MenC booster between April 2021 and June 2021, their pre-school diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis and polio (DTaP/IPV) booster, and second-dose MMR from August 2022 to October 2022.

Children born in areas where the TB incidence is greater than or equal to 40 per 100,000 or who are born to parents or grandparents from TB endemic areas were eligible for a BCG vaccination at 28 days. Coverage is measured at 3 months of age and 12 months of age for this selective immunisation. The full routine immunisation schedule sets out the schedule for all childhood immunisations.

Further information

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Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

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UKHSA has conducted a formal review of these statistics. Following this review, an implementation plan has been developed to continue to improve the trustworthiness, quality, and value of these statistics. Key continuous improvements made will be highlighted within future releases of these statistics for transparency.

Country-specific data

Country-specific links to data are available:

• Quarterly data for England
• Annual data for England
• Data for Wales
• Data for Scotland
• Data for Northern Ireland

The submission and publication dates for this report series is available as is additional information for immunisation practitioners and other health professionals.

Feedback

For any questions or comments regarding this report, please email cover@ukhsa.gov.uk