EAST Lancashire parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated with the MMR jab after figures revealed a drop in the number being immunised.

The call comes after the proportion of children vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella at 24 months old fell in England for the first time in seven years.

The number of children vaccinated in the North West is below the national target but above other areas of the UK, including London.

Dr David Wrigley Lancashire’s representative on the British Medical Association, said: “I would urge parents to get their child immunised because these diseases are very dangerous and serious. The immunisations are completely safe and parents have to be more vigilant to ensure they keep on top of their child’s immunisations.”

In the North West MMR coverage was 90 per cent with the national target being 95 per cent set by the World Health Organisation.

By their second birthday, 92.3 per cent of children received a first dose of the MMR vaccine, down from 92.7 per cent the year before.

The data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre for 2014-15 showed the lowest statistics were in London with 87.3 per cent.

The percentage of children vaccinated remains short of the WHO target needed for ‘herd immunity’ – the level at which a measure of protection is provided for individuals who are not immune.