Children to get home vaccinations as part of trial

Children in North East Lincolnshire will be offered vaccinations at home as part of a national trial.

The NHS scheme aimed to reach families facing barriers to vaccines and protect more children from viruses, North East Lincolnshire Council said.

The authority said it aimed to identify families in areas where there was low vaccination coverage, and explore the reasons for it.

Councillor Stan Shreeve, deputy leader and portfolio holder for health, wellbeing and adult social care, said: "We all want to keep our children safe from harm, and we know that vaccinations offer protection from some really quite awful conditions."

Shreeve said: "Things like meningitis, pneumonia, whooping cough and polio shouldn't really exist in this day and age, but sadly they still claim lives, so it's important we get children vaccinated.

"Vaccines are a choice, and as part of this programme, we want to try to understand why some families decide not to take up the vaccination offer, and how some of these barriers can be overcome."

The pilot scheme is targeted at families whose children are significantly delayed in receiving their routine vaccinations through a GP, the council said.

Vaccinations would be offered during routine health visits, for children under five.

Official figures released in 2025 showed uptake of both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab was 90.3% in North East Lincolnshire, down from 95.5% in 2014-15.

The England-wide average was 83.7%, down from 88.6% a decade ago.

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