Measles Cases

Baroness Hayman Excerpts

Monday 22nd January 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

The noble Baroness asked a very important question about PPE. I am not aware of any issues in GP practices when GPs are meeting patients from their communities to discuss vaccinating their children.

[Baroness Hayman (CB)]

My Lords, regarding communication with parents and community leaders, are the Government looking at and talking about the fact that vaccination is not simply a personal decision and has consequences beyond it? It has gone away from public consciousness that a decision not to vaccinate a healthy child in one’s own family can have catastrophic effects for immunocompromised children in other families and for children who cannot medically be vaccinated. It is very important, given the social impact of vaccination and immunisation programmes, that the Government take that message about responsibilities regarding other children at schools or nurseries with unvaccinated children to their communications with the public.

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

I wholeheartedly agree; the noble Baroness raises a very important point. It is a decision for parents to make about their child. However, when that child goes to school, it is also about the children within their class and wider society. As I said in a previous answer, we have lost the collective memory of what a terrible disease it is for those young people. As outlined by the noble Baroness, it is really quite simple. I say again to anybody with young children who have not been vaccinated, or who thinks they have not been vaccinated: contact your GP and arrange a vaccination visit.