Public health academics to give evidence on childhood vaccinations

On Monday, the House of Lords Childhood Vaccinations Committee will be continuing its inquiry by questioning two panels of academics specialising in public health and vaccine delivery.  

The first session will focus on access to vaccination services and attitudes towards vaccination, with the second session looking at disparities in vaccination uptake.  

Giving evidence at 2:15pm will be:  

• Dr Tracey Chantler, Associate Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 

• Professor Pru Hobson-West, Professor of Science, Medicine and Society, Nottingham University  

Questions the committee is likely to ask include: 

• What is the evidence on why childhood vaccination coverage in England has been declining in recent years? 

• Have the Government, NHS England and UKHSA identified the right approach to tackling the causes of the decline in childhood vaccination coverage? If not, what should they do instead? 

• What are the most effective ways to make childhood vaccination accessible for all? 

• What are the most effective ways to sustain public trust in childhood vaccination? 

• What would be the best ways to strengthen national and local responsibility and accountability for childhood vaccination? 

Giving evidence at 3:15pm will be: 

• Dr Dan Hungerford, Senior Lecturer in Infectious Disease Epidemiology, University of Liverpool 

• Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush, Lecturer in Global Health Policy, University of Edinburgh, and Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 

Questions the Committee is likely to ask include: 

• What are the main disparities in childhood vaccination coverage in England? How are those disparities changing over time? 

• What is the evidence on why there are disparities in childhood vaccination coverage? 

• How accessible is the core offer for childhood vaccination, through GPs and schools, both for infants and for school-aged children? 

• How effective are outreach services to under-vaccinated communities? 

The sessions will take place on Monday 16 March 2026 and can be followed live on Parliament TV.