Council leaders and their directors of public health across England and Wales have been urgently calling on parents to ensure their children have had both doses of the MMR vaccine.
The calls come in light of a recent rise in the number of cases of measles as well as a large outbreak of the infection in the West Midlands, where there has been more than 200 confirmed and over 100 probable cases since last October.
This is a region of the country where take up of the MMR vaccine is lower than the national average, with councils and directors of public health warning this potentially puts children at greater risk of complications from measles.
The UK Health Security Agency has declared a national incident, signalling a major public health risk. Around 3.4 million under-16s are believed to be at risk of getting the virus, with about 85 per cent of children vaccinated compared with the more than 95 per cent vaccination rate needed to ensure the population is protected.
Measles spreads easily between people who have not been vaccinated – it’s more infectious than COVID-19 – and it can be a very serious illness.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board said: “Councils are supporting local and national NHS vaccination campaigns to make sure people know how important it is for their family to be protected.
“Vaccination provides the best protection for our children, and we strongly encourage parents and carers to check their children are up to date with their MMR vaccinations.”