The proportion of two-year-olds being given the three-in-one MMR jab is still running below recommended levels, figures showed today.

While immunisation rates for other childhood diseases are exceeding the 95% target, uptake rates are still lagging for the jab against measles, mumps and rubella.

The take-up rate among two-year-olds was 91.8% in the latest quarter, and 92.1% for the year as a whole, according to NHS statistics published today.

This was slightly higher than the previous quarter, the statisticians said.

Among five year-olds. the take-up rate both in the latest quarter and for the year as a whole was 94.4%, just below the 95% target set by the World Health Organisation.

The figures remain well above the take-up rate of 85.8% among two-year-olds in 2003.

They are lower than for some quarters in 2006, but this may be due to a short-term lack of available vaccination appointments because of a catching-up exercise in another area of the vaccination programme.

The MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988 but uptake levels started to fall away after 1998.

A fiercely-disputed study claimed it was linked to autism, but immunisation rates have been rising again since 2003.

Public health minister Shona Robison said: "It is very encouraging that uptake rates for the majority of childhood vaccinations remain above the 95% target.

"It is also good news that uptake rates for MMR have continued to rise over the past few years, although we realise that we need to continue to encourage parents to have their children given this very important vaccine."

But opposition MSPs urged the government to take action to improve immunisation rates.

Tory health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon said: "At current rates, the 'herd immunity' threshold will not be reached for a considerable time, and we must do all we can to ensure that as many children as possible are immunised to minimise the risk."

She added that while the Tories believed the MMR was the most effective way to tackle measles, mumps and rubella, there had to be an alternative.

Ms Scanlon said: "Given the number of parents refusing to have their children vaccinated with MMR, and the worrying number choosing not to vaccinate their children at all, alternative action must be taken.

"It is better to have single vaccines than no vaccine at all.

"At present, only those who can afford to pay for the single vaccine have the choice - that is wrong. This choice must be extended to the parents of every child by placing the single vaccine on the NHS."

Meanwhile Lib Dem public health spokesman Jamie Stone called for a public information campaign addressing concerns about the triple vaccine.

He said: "The combined vaccine has received some terrible press in the past few years, which is clearly still putting parents off giving their children the MMR vaccination.

"The Scottish Government has described the MMR triple vaccine as the 'safest, most effective way of protecting all children, and the wider community, against the risks of infectious disease.' "It's time for ministers to take real action to improve the immunisation rates and launch a public awareness campaign addressing concerns about the alleged link between autism and the combined vaccine."