Rise of vaccine distrust - why more of us are rejecting jabs

Research suggests confidence in all types of vaccination has taken a significant hit.

In 2023 70% of UK adults said that vaccinations were safe and effective, down from 90% in 2018 .

Vaccine Confidence Project: 52 of the 55 countries polled see a drop in confidence since 2019 .

20% of parents surveyed in 2023 said they had come across information online that made them worried about vaccines.

Young adults are the group most likely to use social media to make decisions about their personal health.

The UKHSA says it's been seriously concerned for some time about falling childhood vaccination rates.

Every vaccine, like any medical treatment, always carries a small level of risk.

Dr Wall, now clinical director of population health in Greater Manchester , thinks there might be an element of "vaccine fatigue" Some NHS staff left "tired, jaded and fed-up" after years of vaccines, boosters, rules and restrictions.

The worry is if people feel forced or coerced into taking a vaccine at certain times, wider vaccine confidence and uptake may experience a backlash.

President Trump 's controversial pick for US health secretary Robert Kennedy Jr has put vaccines firmly on the political agenda.