Parents have been urged to ensure their children are up to date with their latest routine vaccinations after new figures showed a dip in the proportion of children who have been vaccinated against some life threatening diseases.

Public Health England urged parents to take their children to appointments or to catch up on any missed appointments.

The call comes after the latest quarterly figures showed a slight dip in the number of children getting immunised.

The report, which covers the period from October to December in England, showed that vaccination rates had decreased from the previous three months.

The number of children who have had their first MMR jab at the age of two decreased decreased 0.4% to 90.3%.

The proportion who had received other jabs which are part of the routine childhood immunisations also decreased.

Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at PHE National Infection Service, said: “It is absolutely essential that children continue to receive their routine vaccinations.

“The NHS has continued to provide vaccine appointments throughout the pandemic and it is vital that we maintain the highest possible uptake to prevent a resurgence of serious and sometimes life-threatening diseases like measles.

“Vaccines are our best line of defence against infectious disease and even a small decrease in coverage can have a big impact on public health.

“We are strongly encouraging parents to ensure their children attend routine vaccination appointments and catch up on any vaccinations they may have missed.”