Health Secretary Matt Hancock says vaccines could become compulsory for all schoolchildren

Vaccines could become compulsory for all schoolchildren to combat the rise in preventable diseases, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has revealed.



He said there is a “very strong argument” for forcing parents to get their kids immunised after the UK lost its measles-free status earlier this year.

Speaking at a Tory conference fringe event, he said that “should be a real wake-up call” for the country.

Mr Hancock also said "the social media companies have got a lot to answer for in terms of the spread of anti-vaccine messages" online.

Asked if the Department for Health was looking at making it compulsory to combat the problem, Mr Hancock said: “I’ve said before that we should be open-minded.

“And frankly what I'd say is that when we or the state provide services to people then it's a two-way street, you’ve got to take responsibility too.

“So I think there's a very strong argument for having compulsory vaccinations for children when they go to school.

“Because otherwise they are putting other children at risk. Now you’ve got to make sure the system would work, because some children can’t be vaccinated and some may hold very strong religious convictions that you want to take into account.

“But frankly, the proportion of people in either of those two categories is tiny compared to the 7 or 8% now who don’t get vaccinated.

“And then I’d want to make it very easy if the children do arrive at school not vaccinated, simply to get vaccinated, and make it the norm.

“I think there’s a very strong argument for moving to compulsory vaccination, and I think the public would back us.”

His comments came after figures released last week revealed that take-up rates for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) triple vaccine have fallen in England for the fifth year in a row to 90.3%.

The minister added: “I’ve received advice inside government this week on how we might go about it, and I'm looking very seriously at it.”