THE number of children in the north being vaccinated against infectious diseases including measles is steadily declining, a new report has found.
The Audit Office report has shown that around 15,000 children have not received an MMR jab in the last seven years, while up to 10,200 pre-school children have not had the recommended Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV).
The data also reveals that one-in-three children in the Belfast Health Trust area have missed doses of the PCV jab to prevent pneumococcal disease since 2015.
Rates of jabs against 13 out of the 14 infectious diseases pre-school children are vaccinated against are falling, the report said, while 45 percent of youngsters were not vaccinated against seasonal flu during the 2020-21 season.
NI Comptroller & Auditor General, Dorinnia Carville has warned it is "hugely important" that the decline in vaccinations is reversed.
Her report identified a "number of difficulties with workforce availability and the capacity to administer vaccines" in GP practices, and a failure by some practices to meet vaccine targets set by the Department of Health.
There were also issues relating to "incomplete records where vaccines had been administered", the report states.
“Vaccination against infectious disease remains one of the most successful and cost-effective ways to help manage the health of a population," Ms Carville said.
"However, as many vaccine-preventable diseases require a series of immunisations to be administered to infants and small children at pre-determined intervals, overall effectiveness is heavily reliant on consistently high levels of participation.
“Whilst there is no single reason for the declining rates of vaccination coverage shown, workforce shortages and delivery capacity within GP practices in Northern Ireland are likely to have contributed to the overall trend. It is hugely important that there is a comprehensive plan of action to reverse the decline.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health said it " agrees with the significant findings for public health highlighted in the NIAO report and accepts the recommendations made. We recognise the multiple factors likely contributing to declining uptake in pre-school vaccinations, including service pressures and workforce."
And he added: " The PHA have developed an action plan as part of this ongoing work and has focused on five themes which include data, communication, education and training, operational management and access to services."
