COVER - National childhood immunisation uptake data

Uptake of scheduled childhood vaccination

Surveillance of uptake and equality of routine childhood vaccinations in Wales is carried out by Public Health Wales Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme through the national COVER scheme in Wales (Coverage of Vaccination Evaluation Rapidly). COVER reports are published on a quarterly basis, summarising vaccination uptake for children and teenagers reaching key birthdays during the following periods:

January – March
April –June
July-September
October-December

An annual COVER report is produced, summarising coverage of vaccinations for children reaching key birthdays during the 12 month period April to March. Trends in inequalities in coverage, according to level of socioeconomic deprivation are also published on an annual basis.

Quarterly reports are published within 8 weeks of the end of the reporting quarter. Annual reports are published within 12 weeks of the end of the reporting year.

Surveillance reports on the infections which routine childhood vaccinations protect against are available from: https://phw.nhs.wales/data

Latest Quarterly Report

The latest quarterly COVER report summarises immunisation uptake in children in Wales reaching key birthdays between 01/04/2024 and 30/06/2024.

Download full report: Uptake of childhood immunisation in Wales by Health Board: April to June 2024 (COVER 151)

Key points from Quarterly COVER Report 151

Age	Immunisation	Uptake (%)
1 year	6 in 1 primary (3rd dose)	94.1
	MenB (2nd dose)	93.7
	Rotavirus primary (2nd dose)	92.1
	PCV primary (1st dose)	95.7
2 years	MMR (1st dose)	93.5
	PCV (final (3rd) dose)	93.2
	MenB (3rd dose)	92.8
	Hib/MenC booster	92.8
4 years	Up to date with all routine immunisations	85.7
5 years	MMR (2nd dose)	89.6
	4 in 1 pre-school booster	89.4
	Up to date with all routine immunisations	87.7
School year 8	Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) (one dose)	69.4
School year 9	Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) (one dose)	71.9
	MenACWY	70.8
	Td/IPV teenage booster	70.9
School year 10	Td/IPV teenage booster	71.3
	MMR (1 dose)	95.7
	MMR (2 doses)	93.1
School year 11	MMR (1 dose)	95.7
School year 11	MMR (2 doses)	93.0

General information about the diseases which each vaccine provides protection against is available from: https://111.wales.nhs.uk/livewell/vaccinations/

Maps indicating the uptake of the 6-in-1 vaccination by one year of age and the uptake of the MMR1 vaccination at two years of age in HB resident children for the most recent quarter are given below:

6 in 1 uptake by 1 year of age

1 dose of MMR uptake by 2 years of age

The trends chart below, shows uptake of selected routine childhood immunisations in Wales resident children, as reported in the Public Health Wales Quarterly COVER reports from 1997. Uptakes of vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib, MenC and PCV2 are presented for one-year-old children. Uptake of the first dose of MMR and the Hib/MenC are presented for two-year-old children. Uptake of the second dose on MMR is presented for five-year-old children.

Immunisation Uptake reports at Health Board level

Latest annual report

The latest annual COVER report summarises immunisation uptake in children in Wales reaching key birthdays between 01/04/2023 and 31/03/2024.

Download full report: Uptake of Vaccination in Children in Wales, for the year ending March 31st 2024 (annual COVER 2023-24)
Download annual trends charts: Annual COVER trends charts

2023/24 report summary infographic:

Inequalities in childhood immunisation uptake

Public Health Wales Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme carry out surveillance for socio-economic and geographic (Local Authority level) inequalities in uptake of routine childhood immunisations. The annual reports contain additional health board specific data in appendices.

Download latest report:
Inequalities in uptake of routine childhood immunisations in Wales 2022-23

Previous reports:

Inequalities in uptake of routine childhood immunisations in Wales 2021-22
Inequalities in uptake of routine childhood immunisations in Wales 2020-21