VITAL PROTECTION
Almost 1million young people urgently need life-saving measles jabs as cases continue to rise, NHS warns
MMR vaccines are free on the NHS to anyone who has not had both doses
NEARLY a million 19 to 25-year-olds need a measles jab, the NHS warns.
Cases of the once-eliminated virus are on the rise, with at least 733 recorded in England since October.
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Health chiefs are now appealing to more than 900,000 students and young workers in London, Manchester and the West Midlands to get fully vaccinated.
While these are the highest risk areas, there are many more nationwide where people have not had both jabs.
The most severe cases so far have affected young children but adults can still get seriously ill and catch and spread the bug.
With cases rising it is not worth the risk of being unprotected
Steve Russell
People need two doses of the MMR measles, mumps and rubella vaccine but many have only had one or none.
Read more on measles
Steve Russell, vaccines chief at NHS England, said: “Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world and can cause serious harm to adults and children of all ages.
“The NHS MMR vaccine gives life-long protection against becoming seriously unwell.
“With cases on the rise, it is not worth the risk of going without this vital protection.”
The plea follows a call for more than a million primary school kids and 200,000 teens aged 16 to 19 in high-risk areas to get up to date with the jabs.
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The NHS estimates that more than three million under-16s, plus more adults, are not fully protected.
Symptoms start like a cold plus blotchy rash
Vaccines for those who haven't had both doses are free for all ages from GP surgeries and catch-up programmes are offering them at schools, universities, libraries and sports centres in some areas.
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Symptoms of measles start off like a cold but can then include a fever, white spots in the mouth and a blotchy rash.
Very serious cases can cause brain damage, blindness, deafness or even death.
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, from the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Anyone who is not vaccinated against measles can catch it.
“Being unvaccinated also means you risk spreading the disease to others, including those at greatest risk like infants, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.”
The main symptoms of measles
MEASLES is highly contagious and can cause serious problems in some people.
The infection usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later.
The first signs include:
- A high temperature
- A runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- A cough
- Red, sore, watery eyes
Small white spots may then appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips.
A rash tends to come next. This usually starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
The spots are sometimes raised and join together to form blotchy patches. They are not normally itchy.
The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on darker skin.
Complications are rare, but measles can lead to pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, seizures, and sometimes death.
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