HEALTH experts in Wales must work together to ensure parents are “fully informed of the benefits of vaccination”, says the country’s chief medical officer.

Warning of the health threats arising out of anti-vaccination campaigns - including an ongoing one concerning protection of children against measles - Dr Frank Atherton is using his latest annual report to urge concerted action in promoting the benefits of vaccines such as MMR.

“Most people do choose to be vaccinated, but a small minority remain unconvinced by the safety and benefits of vaccines,” said Dr Atherton.

“NHS Wales offer a range of immunisation programmes from infancy to old age as protection from a wide range of infectious diseases. Vaccination remains by far the most effective means of protection against diseases such as measles.

“We need to work with clinicians and other experts to ensure that parents are fully informed of the benefits of vaccination, to ensure maximum uptake of the vaccine and achieve our aim of eradicating preventable diseases.

“Similarly, older people need to understand the health benefits to them of vaccination against influenza, pneumococcal disease and shingles.”

Uptake of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine rose throughout Wales in the immediate aftermath of the 2013 outbreak, which centred on Swansea but resulted in increased numbers of cases across south Wales.

But six years on, uptake has fallen again in many areas. The most recent figures, for October-December 2018, show that just two of Gwent's five council areas - Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly - have uptake rates for first dose MMR above the minimum 95 per cent target, while only Blaenau Gwent is above that target for second dose MMR.

Uptake of first dose MMR for 16-year-olds in Gwent is above the minimum 95 per cent target in all areas bar Newport (94.7 per cent), but rates for second dose MMR at 16 are all significantly below 95 per cent, in line with much of Wales.

Uptake of six-in-one vaccine (for diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), polio, tetanus, and whooping cough), and first dose vaccines for meningitis B, and pneumococcal disease are above the target rate in most of Gwent, though second dose uptake for the latter two is lower.

The over-use of antibiotics - and the increased threat from antibiotic resistance - is also addressed in Dr Atherton’s report.

Wales has a strategy - the antimicrobial resistance national action plan - which aims to reduce our antibiotic use by 1 per cent by 2025.

Dr Atherton also discusses the importance of health data research, and building on the principles of prudent healthcare - launched in 2014 - by using a value-based approach to healthcare.

“Without research there wouldn’t be treatments like IVF or devices such as pacemakers - and we certainly wouldn’t know that smoking causes cancer," he said.

“Health and care research is about finding out new knowledge that could lead to changes in treatments, policies or care.

"It is also important that we use the resources at our disposal to their very best effect, which is why I am advocating a value-based healthcare approach in Wales.

“There is a huge amount of interest in this work, as well as in the research we do in Wales. We should be proud that Wales is increasingly being seen as a place where innovation and new ways of working are welcomed."