Highlights Most parents stated they would likely accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves and their children. Ethnicity and household income were predictors of COVID-19 vaccine refusal. The main motivation for vaccine acceptance was for self-protection against COVID-19. Foremost concerns were around the safety and efficacy of a ‘rushed’ new vaccine.

Using electronic health records, we assessed the early impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on routine childhood vaccination in England by 26 April 2020. Measles-mumps-rubella vaccination counts fell from February 2020, and in the 3 weeks after introduction of physical distancing measures were 19.8% lower (95% confidence interval: −20.7 to −18.9) than the same period in 2019, before improving in mid-April. A gradual decline in hexavalent vaccination counts throughout 2020 was not accentuated by physical distancing.