Responding to Public Health England's estimate that 1 in 7 5-year olds have yet to be fully immunised against MMR, the BMA Board of Science Chair, Prof Dame Parveen Kumar said: "GPs are very concerned that the number of young children who are up to date with vaccinations seems to be falling. Measles can be a very serious illness and whilst diptheria and whooping cough are thankfully relatively rare, they remain a risk to children who are not vaccinated."  Importantly, it is frontline staff - notably GPs and Practice Nurses - who must be given the resources the provide a successful and comprehensive vaccination programme, to protect children in all parts of the population.

In addition, support must be readily available to help parents and carers better understand the importance of vaccinating their children and to make informed decisions. For more information, please go to www.bma.org.uk/news