Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to tackle opposition to the use of vaccination in developing countries.

The UK believes all children should have access to lifesaving vaccines and is committed to supporting their increased uptake internationally. We deliver this through our strong investment in Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which will vaccinate an additional 76 million children in 68 of the world’s poorest countries by 2020.

We are deeply concerned that opposition to vaccinations and spread of anti-vaccine misinformation could undermine these hard-fought gains that have helped protect the world’s most vulnerable children from vaccine preventable diseases and outbreaks. Gavi shares this concern and works through civil society groups at local levels to address opposition to vaccines. These groups monitor anti-vaccine sentiment at local levels and help counter vaccine misinformation by providing accurate information of their health benefits. This approach helps provide a deeper understanding of the causes of opposition to vaccinations. Gavi also supports health workers with additional training on how to speak to parents to help address any concerns or fears about vaccinations.