'EVERY child should be vaccinated.'

This was the view of Dalton mum Emily Bispham who's weakened immune system makes her prone to picking up illnesses.

She was speaking after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he will not "rule out" bold action to protect children as new figures showed fewer are receiving routine NHS vaccinations.

New NHS figures showed a continuing decline in the proportion of children receiving all NHS childhood jabs, including the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and those for meningitis.

Mr Hancock said he could not rule out the possibility that unvaccinated children would be sent home from school in future, and warned "devastating diseases can, and will, resurface".

Mrs Bispham said it was 'scary' to see the continued decline in children getting the vaccinations.

She called on parents thinking of not having their children vaccinated to think not just about their own children but about everyone who could be affected as a result.

She said: "The idea that some people watch something on Youtube or reading it on Facebook and think it makes them more qualified than actual doctors is barmy.

"These days with the rise of social media means people read something and believe it regardless if it's true or not.

"People confuse opinions with fact when it isn't.

"Research is fact and the fact is vaccines are safe and important.

"To think around 10 per cent of children are walking around not vaccinated is really scary."

Mrs Bispham went on to talk about the importance of heard immunity (widespread vaccinations).

She said: "When I went to school everyone got the MMR.

"But back then our grandparents could remember seeing what those diseases were like.

"Now a lot of that generation is gone and we don't have the link to those who remember these diseases.

"I think parents need to not just think about their own children but think about everyone."