Measles Cases

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts

Monday 22nd January 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

The right reverend Prelate is right to bring up this subject. Pop-up clinics are a quick and easy way to serve hard-to-reach communities. He mentioned mosques, where the Government are using a new initiative to encourage parents to take their children for immunisation. He also mentioned distrust of the vaccine; for example, there are variations with different make-ups. For those with religious beliefs about using pig content, there are alternatives. There is no reason why anybody in this country should not take up this very safe vaccine; as he says, we have to encourage all sections of the community to take it up.

[Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)]

My Lords, will the Minister comment on the fact that there is such an unequal distribution of health visitors among different communities? Often young mothers and fathers, in particular, do not have the attention of and discussion with a health visitor about the importance of vaccinations generally. Will the Government look at this in detail so that we can return to the situation we had five years ago?

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

The situation varies across the country. What is clear in the more deprived sections of certain communities is that such communications are not what they could and should be. The message to any parents of young children is that they should contact their GP today and get them vaccinated.