Only 61% of children in one London borough are fully vaccinated by age 5

37,912 Children, 40 GP Practices, One Borough

Researchers analysed electronic health records for all children eligible for routine vaccinations by age 5 across 40 general practices in Lambeth, south London, between 2010 and 2023. Lambeth is one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs in England.

Just 61% of eligible children were fully vaccinated. Of those who were vaccinated, only 60.8% received their jabs on time - within three months of the scheduled age.

Ethnicity Predicted Under-Vaccination Across the Board

Compared with White British children, uptake was significantly lower across most ethnic minority groups; including, African, Caribbean, Pakistani, Indian, Chinese, and mixed heritage children. No ethnic group had significantly higher uptake than the White British reference group.

Deprivation played a role too, but the ethnic disparities persisted after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, suggesting structural barriers beyond poverty alone.

Children Already Seeing a GP Were More Likely to Be Vaccinated

One finding stood out: children with an existing primary care comorbidity had 58% higher odds of being fully vaccinated. The most likely explanation is simple, they were already in the building. Routine contact with general practice drives vaccination uptake.

What This Means for Your Practice

The UK Health Security Agency’s most recent data shows childhood vaccination rates declining nationally. This study puts real-world numbers on the gap and identifies which families are being missed. For practices serving diverse populations, it’s a prompt to review call/recall systems, consider targeted outreach, and ensure every child contact includes a vaccination status check.

Source: Basta K, Dodhia H, Crompton J et al. Predictors of childhood vaccination uptake and timeliness: a cross-sectional study in a diverse urban UK population. BJGP. 2026

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