Which English Regions have the Lowest Child Vaccination Rates?

Recent reports show that families in England may soon be offered routine childhood vaccinations at home, after uptake for several key jabs fell below the World Health Organisation’s 95% target.

At Stem Protect, we work with thousands of families every year to help protect children’s long-term health. So we wanted to understand something simple:

Where in England are children most likely to miss important vaccines by their second birthday?

Using three years of NHS/UKHSA coverage data, we analysed the regions with the biggest gaps in missed vaccine rates and those that perform the strongest. The results show clear differences depending on where a child lives.

Key findings
London has the highest missed vaccine rate: 18.2%
West Midlands (10.9%) and North West (10.4%) follow
North East performs best: just 5.7%
Boosters and MMR show the biggest gaps nationwide
In some regions, children are three times more likely to miss milestones than others

Regions with the most missed vaccines
London: 18.2% missed
Nearly one in five children misses at least one key vaccine by age two.
Largest gaps:
MenB booster: 21.1%
PCV: 19.4%
MMR: 18.6%

Some boroughs report far higher figures, while others perform much better, showing how access and local circumstances can vary dramatically even within the same city.

West Midlands: 10.9% missed
Second lowest uptake nationally.
Higher missed rates across:
MenB booster: 12.9%
PCV: 11.8%
MMR: 11.2%

This suggests a broader system challenge across the region, rather than one specific vaccine.

North West: 10.4% missed
This follows a similar pattern to the West Midlands.
MenB booster: 12.3%
PCV: 11.1%
MMR: 10.6%

Larger urban areas tend to show the widest gaps.

Best-performing region
North East: 5.7% missed
The strongest uptake across England.
Lower missed rates across all milestones:
MMR: 5.7%
PCV: 6.1%
MenB booster: 6.7%

Children here are significantly more likely to be fully protected by their second birthday.

Why the two-year milestone matters
By age two, children should typically have received:
6-in-1 doses
Hib/MenC booster
MenB booster
MMR
Pneumococcal (PCV)

Missing these early vaccines can leave children vulnerable during their most important developmental years. It also increases the risk of outbreaks within communities.

That’s why this milestone is widely used by public health teams to track protection and organise catch-up programmes.

Why do children miss vaccines?

From what we hear from parents, it’s rarely about refusal.
More often it’s:
Rearranged or missed appointments
Moving home or changing GP
Busy family schedules
Uncertainty about what’s due

Small delays in receiving vaccines can quickly add up.

A simple step parents can take today
Check your child’s red book or NHS app
Ask your GP practice what’s outstanding
Book catch-up appointments early

Catching up is usually straightforward, and the sooner it happens, the sooner protection is restored.

Supporting your child’s health beyond vaccination

At Stem Protect, we believe prevention and preparation go hand in hand.

Alongside routine healthcare like vaccinations, many families also choose to store their child’s stem cells at birth or from baby teeth. Stem cells are already used in the treatment of more than 80 conditions, including blood, immune, and neurological disorders, and are being explored in new therapies every year.

As the UK’s stem cell bank, we provide:
Safe, secure long-term stem cell storage
Umbilical cord blood and tissue banking
Tooth stem cell banking
Prenatal and newborn screening services
365-day collection and specialist couriers
A full business continuity guarantee for every sample

It’s another way families choose to protect their child’s future health, alongside keeping vaccinations up to date.

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/01/children-in-england-to-be-offered-vaccines-in-their-own-homes
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8556/CBP-8556.pdf
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/european-countries-including-uk-lose-measles-elimination-status-2026-01-26/