Measles Cases On The Rise In England

Measles cases in England are unfortunately on the rise. Most of the cases have been in London, although there have been cases picked up across the country and some are linked to travel abroad.

Measles is a highly infectious disease that can lead to serious problems such as pneumonia, meningitis, and on rare occasions, long-term disability, or death. Spending 15 minutes or more in direct contact with someone infected is enough to catch the infection. People whose immunity is compromised, pregnant women and unvaccinated children are at increased risk of severe disease.

Vaccines are our best line of defence against diseases like measles and help to stop outbreaks in the community. Highly infectious conditions such as measles, mumps and rubella can easily spread between unvaccinated people. In recent years the number of children vaccinated against these diseases has fallen.

The ‘MMR’ vaccine is a free safe and effective combination vaccine. It protects against 3 serious illnesses: measles, mumps and rubella and 2 doses of the vaccine are needed to provide the best protection. It’s very important to catch up on any missed vaccines for this reason.

You can ask us at anytime for an appointment for the MMR vaccine if your child has missed either of these 2 doses.

When should older children and adults have the MMR vaccine?

Anyone who has not had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine should ask the surgery for a vaccination. If you are unsure you can check the NHS app or call/send an Accurx online consult to ask.

It’s especially important to check you’ve had both doses if you:

• are about to start college or university
• are going to travel abroad
• are planning a pregnancy
• are a frontline health or social care worker
• were born between 1970 and 1979, as you may have only been vaccinated against measles
• were born between 1980 and 1990, as you may not be protected against mumps

Published: Jan 22, 2024