Parents in the Olympic boroughs are being encouraged to have their children vaccinated through a health drive aiming to increase the coverage of MMR vaccine in the capital’s children.
GP practices will send birthday cards to parents of newborns and children aged one and four years to promote health checks and vaccinations in a move to mirror a similar successful scheme elsewhere in the world.
The initiative, Celebrate and Protect, is aiming to increase coverage of MMR vaccine in London and establish a health legacy in the 12 Olympic boroughs.
Low uptake rates have been blamed for the recent outbreaks of measles in Wales and parents of partially or unvaccinated children aged 10-16 years are being recommended to seek MMR vaccination through their local GP.
Led by Dr Justin Varney, a consultant in public health medicine, the scheme was launched in Barking and Dagenham borough.
It is a partnership between the NHS, local authorities and bio-pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur MSD.
Immunisation rates in Waltham Forest are up to around 10% below the World Health Organisation's 95% recommended coverage and are below the national average.
A similar initiative was carried out successfully in Australia.
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