The per centage of children being vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) has fallen - the first drop since 2007/08, new figures show.
Data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) showed 92.3 per cent of children were vaccinated with the first dose of MMR by their second birthday, down from 92.7 per cent the year before.
Despite the fact MMR uptake has been on the rise up until now, the number of children vaccinated still falls short of the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 95 per cent, needed for herd immunity.
Councils in London have the lowest levels of MMR coverage, the new figures showed.
Rates of 95 per cent or more was reported for just over a quarter of local authorities in England (38 out of 149).
MMR coverage was highest in the North East (95.2 per cent) and lowest in London (87.3 per cent).
Some 88.6 per cent of children had received both doses of MMR by their fifth birthday, a slight increase on the previous year although still well below the WHO target.
By age five, some 94.4 per cent of children had received their first dose of MMR, also below the WHO target.
Uptake of the MMR vaccine fell heavily in the late 1990s following the publication by Dr Andrew Wakefield of research suggesting a possible link between the vaccine and autism. Experts have widely discredited his study.
The HSCIC report said several factors could have led to a rise in MMR uptake in recent years, including campaigns to target unvaccinated teenagers and a recommendation that MMR is offered on the same day as other vaccines.
Overall, the figures for most routine childhood vaccinations at ages one and two fell slightly in 2014/15 for the second consecutive year. But there were small increases in the numbers vaccinated by the age of five.
The report also detailed uptake of the flu vaccine in young children, with coverage under 42 per cent among two, three and four-year-olds.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, said: "England has a world class national immunisation programme which is constantly reviewed and updated to reflect the changing nature of infectious diseases, and the annual data shows continued high uptake of all routine vaccinations in children aged up to five years."
She said that despite a small decrease in overall routine vaccination coverage at one and two years, "on the whole vaccination coverage remains high".
She added: "We urge all parents to check that their children are up to date with their vaccinations and to contact their GP as soon as possible if they are unsure so that no child misses out."