Health officials have urged all parents and carers to make sure their children are up to date with their immunisations after vaccine uptake plummets.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that schoolchildren are at risk of meningitis and blood poisoning as a result of the decline, which could lead to life-threatening diseases.
The number of students given a shot against polio, diphtheria and tetanus - otherwise known as the 3-in-1 jab - has also dropped, highlights the government agency. Vaccinations work by using your body’s natural defences to build resistance to specific infections and makes your immune system stronger, explains the World Health Organisation.
