Getty Images The UK is at a 'tipping point', with low uptake of routine vaccinations putting children at risk of catching severe diseases, health officials say.
The World Health Organization (WHO) target is for 95% of under-fives to be vaccinated. But for the UK as a whole: only 91.5% of under-twos had received the six-in-one jab - and among the whole under-five age group, the proportion was just 84.5%
The UK's vaccine committee head, paediatrician Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, is 'really worried' by the recent rise in whooping, or '100-day', cough, also known as pertussis, which can be particularly serious for babies and infants.
Symptoms of whooping cough are similar to a cold. Young babies may make a distinctive 'whoop' or have difficulty breathing after coughing. The bacteria spread through coughs and sneezes, exposing others to infection.
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