A MAJOR new survey from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveals that parental confidence in childhood vaccines remains high across the UK.
Commissioned by UKHSA, the online survey included 3,272 parents of children aged 2 months to 4 years. Unlike previous studies limited to England, this research sampled parents UK-wide. Data were collected between 16 January and 12 February 2025, using a mix of panel-based and random probability sampling. The survey explored vaccine attitudes, disease awareness, trust in information sources, and satisfaction with vaccination services.
A total of 87% of parents agreed that vaccines are effective, 85% said they are safe, and 84% expressed trust in them. Diseases such as septicaemia and meningitis were perceived as “very serious” by 84% and 83% of parents, respectively. For respiratory syncytial virus, for which maternal vaccination was introduced in 2024, 60% of parents of younger children considered it “very serious” and another 25% “fairly serious”. Chickenpox was viewed as less concerning, with only 27% rating it “very serious”.
Healthcare professionals and the NHS emerged as the most trusted information sources, with 67% of parents placing GPs in their top three trusted sources and 59% citing the NHS. Only 3% ranked social media in their tope three. Nearly half of parents who reported vaccine-related concerns attributed their exposure to worrying content to social media. Encouragingly, 86% felt they had enough information to make an informed decision, and 89% of parents of younger children reported having discussed vaccines with a health professional, primarily health visitors or midwives. Despite many having already decided to vaccinate, over half (53%) felt more confident following these discussions.
Satisfaction with vaccination services was also strong: 86% were satisfied with their most recent visit, and 87% preferred receiving reminders by text or email. The vast majority (81%) agreed that GP surgeries have good vaccine delivery facilities.
These findings suggest high and stable levels of vaccine confidence among UK parents, bolstered by trusted healthcare professionals and a well-received NHS vaccination service.
Reference
GOV.UK. Childhood vaccines: parental attitudes survey 2025 findings. 2025. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childhood-vaccines-parental-attitudes-survey-2025/childhood-vaccines-parental-attitudes-survey-2025-findings. Last accessed: 10 July 2025.
