MP urges parents to have children vaccinated against serious diseases

Vaccinations such as the MMR are the biggest health successes of the last century and are the only way to protect your child against some serious diseases.

Mr MacNeil asked NHS Western Isles for statistics on the uptake of the MMR vaccine locally with reports of reduced uptake worldwide.

He said: “I was pleased to hear from NHS Western Isles that uptake of the MMR first dose in the Western Isles is back above the target of 95% despite a drop in uptake in 2017.

“Overall 98.1% of Western Isles children have received at least one MMR vaccination by the age of 6, compared to 96.3% for Scotland.

“The development of effective vaccines has led to a huge decrease in childhood deaths and I would urge parents to help maintain high levels of uptake by ensuring children receive the vaccine.”

When your child is immunised they’re helping to protect the health of the whole community.

When enough people are immunised against an infection, it’s more difficult for it to be spread to those who are not immunised. This is called ‘herd immunity’ or ‘population protection’.

This is important because children with some severe medical conditions and allergies can’t have certain vaccines.

See leaflet for more information on vaccines at:WEBSITE