PARENTS in East Lancashire have been warned to make sure their children are up to date with their MMR vaccines.

Public Health England (PHE) North West bosses have made the warning after new data shows slight decline in uptake for childhood immunisations.

The figures show that the percentage of children vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) by their second birthday in the North West decreased from 94.9 per cent in 2012/13 to 92.9 per cent in 2017/18.

Health chiefs have blamed inaccurate claims about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for the decline.

Head of Immunisations at PHE Dr Mary Ramsay, said: "It’s vital that all websites and social media platforms ensure accurate coverage of public health issues like vaccination.

“But, we also know that there are other factors which affect vaccine uptake, such as sending out reminders and making GP appointments as convenient as possible – these things will make the biggest difference in reducing numbers of children not getting vaccinated.”

“We cannot be complacent, as even small groups of children missing out on or delaying their vaccines leaves them and others vulnerable to serious or even fatal infections, " she added.