Less than half of borough's teenagers received routine polio jab

The borough recorded a vaccination uptake rate of 40.9 per cent, placing it sixth-lowest among local authorities in England, according to the Children's Commissioner's The Childhood Lottery.

This was considerably below the national average of 71.7 per cent, a gap of 30.8 percentage points.

Wigan Borough recorded a vaccination uptake rate of 40.9 per cent (Image: PA)

The vaccination is routinely offered to teenagers as a booster against tetanus, diphtheria and polio.

It helps maintain protection against the three potentially serious diseases as immunity from earlier vaccinations can decrease over time.

The figures form part of a wider report by the Children's Commissioner examining differences in children's experiences and outcomes across England, including health, education, safety and access to services.

The data highlights a substantial difference between vaccination uptake in Wigan and the national rate, although it does not explain why uptake is lower in the borough.

The figures also do not establish how many individual teenagers remain unvaccinated, or whether those who have not received the booster have protection from previous doses.