Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to tackle the spread of misinformation on (a) the MMR vaccine and (b) other childhood immunisations.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) ensures all relevant healthcare professionals have access to childhood immunisation resources to maintain confidence in the national vaccination programmes, including measles, mumps and rubella.

There are a range of information leaflets and promotional materials available online about the different vaccination programmes, co-branded with the National Health Service. These include translations in a range of languages and braille, British Sign Language, large print and audio versions.

NHS England is actively working with regional and local systems in low uptake communities, to enhance outreach activities and interventions to support access for individuals. UKHSA has developed an evaluation framework and resources to facilitate the efficient sharing of the most successful interventions.

To assess the level of public confidence in vaccination programmes, the UKHSA undertakes annual surveys, to understand how knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards vaccine safety, and disease severity influence vaccine uptake. This information is used to inform programme planning and implementation and the development of effective communication strategies.