Politics

Kids could be banned from going to school if they don’t get vital vaccinations, Health Secretary warns


KIDS could be barred from going to school unless they have their vaccinations, Matt Hancock today revealed.

The Health Secretary said he is considering radical plans to make jabs compulsory for all school-aged children.

 Childhood vaccination rates have plummeted across England in the past year

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Childhood vaccination rates have plummeted across England in the past yearCredit: Getty – Contributor

It comes after take-up of vaccinations plummeted, leading Britain to lose its “measles-free” status.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Tory Party conference in Manchester, Mr Hancock said kids who aren’t immunised are a threat to their classmates.

He said: “Frankly what I’d say is that when we, the state, provide services to people then it’s a two way street – you have got to take your responsibilities to.

“So I think there is a very strong argument for having compulsory vaccinations for children when they go to school, because otherwise they are putting other children at risk.”

And fines could be issued to parents who refuse jabs.

Mr Hancock acknowledged some children should be exempt from compulsory vaccinations because it flouts their religious views – such as Orthodox Jews.

But he warned most parents who currently choose not to get their kids immunised face being forced to in future.

He said: “Now you have got to make sure the system would work, because some children who can’t be vaccinated, some may hold very strong religious convictions who we would want to take into account.

“But frankly, the proportion of people in either of those two categories is tiny compared to the 7 or 8 per cent now who don’t get vaccinated.

“I received advice inside government this week into how we might go about it.”

There were 532 in the first half of this year — yet 259 in all of 2017, says Public Health England.

 Matt Hancock went further than ever before - saying he was now considering making vaccinations compulsory

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Matt Hancock went further than ever before – saying he was now considering making vaccinations compulsoryCredit: Alamy Live News

Vaccination rates plummeted in the UK after now discredited research claimed the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab was linked to autism.

NHS data shows that the proportion of kids protected against MMR has dropped for the seventh year in a row.

Vaccination rates have plummeted in many Western countries.

New York voted earlier this year to roll out compulsory vaccinations for all children – including from previously exempt religious groups.

Mum tells about how her baby spent 1st birthday battling sepsis, meningitis and encephalitis because she didn’t get him vaccinated


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