HIGH ALERT
Urgent warning to parents as killer Victorian disease makes comeback with almost as many cases this year than in 2022
PARENTS have been urged to get their kids’ jabs up to date because measles is on the rise in Britain.
The UK Health Security Agency said January to April had almost as many cases of the Victorian disease as the entire of 2022.
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There were 49 cases between January 1 and April 20, 2023, compared to 54 through the whole of last year.
Two thirds of the infections have been in London but some have been caught abroad.
Health chiefs are urging families to get vaccines up to date before going on summer holidays or to festivals.
All children are offered the first dose of the super-effective MMR vaccine at age one and then the second at age three – but people can catch up on missed jabs at any age.
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Measles is one of the world's most infectious viruses and can cause pneumonia or even death in the most serious cases.
It can spread by coughs, sneezes and physical contact with an infected person.
Symptoms include a classic blotchy reddish brown rash, as well as a fever and sore, red eyes.
Most people start to get better with bed rest after around a week but people should call their GP or NHS 111 if they think there is a case in their home.
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The bug was all but wiped out in the UK by the jab and the World Health Organization declared Britain had officially eliminated the virus in 2016.
But uptake has fallen in recent years and only 85 per cent of five-year-olds are fully vaccinated – below the 95 per cent needed for herd immunity.
The virus bounced back and our WHO elimination status was stripped in 2019, when there were 880 confirmed cases.
NHS jabs director Steve Russell said: “It is clear that when vaccine uptake falls, infections rise – so I strongly urge parents to review the status of their child’s vaccinations.
“The NHS's vaccination programmes have proven time and time again they are the best tool in our arsenal against the spread of highly infectious diseases.”
The UKHSA says that uptake of non-Covid vaccines fell during the pandemic.
It warned measles is now “ramping up globally” and a growing number of young Brits are unprotected.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “It’s never too late to catch up, and you can get the MMR vaccine for free on the NHS whatever your age.
“Measles spreads very easily and can lead to complications that require a stay in hospital.
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“On rare occasions it can cause lifelong disability or death, so it is very concerning to see cases starting to pick up this year.
“A fall in uptake for the routine childhood vaccinations, including MMR, leaves us vulnerable to outbreaks, especially as people travel abroad for summer holidays to places where measles is more common.”
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