THE number of measles cases rose by a third last week, new data shows.
The highly infectious disease is on the run in kids in Birmingham in particular, and parents are being urged to vaccinate their children.
Measles symptoms can take several days to appear
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said 118 additional cases had been reported in the last week, taking the total from October to 465.
There are thought to have been 329 cases in the West Midlands alone – mainly driven by cases in Birmingham – where cases are at their highest levels since the 1990s.
Dr Vanessa Saliba of the UKHSA said: “The measles outbreak in the West Midlands continues to be a concern.”
Two-thirds of cases are in children under the age of 10, they said.
London was the next most affected area, followed by Yorkshire and Humber, reporting 62 and seven cases, respectively.
Uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab is lower than it has been for more than a decade, with the last large outbreak in 2012.
The NHS in England has launched a vaccine catch-up programme after figures showed 3.4million children are not fully immunised.
Only around 85 per cent of kids have had both MMR vaccine doses by age five, but the figure needs to be above 90 per cent to stop outbreaks.
“Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your children. I strongly urge parents to take up the offer as soon as possible and protect their child now,” Dr Vanessa added.
If infections recorded this week were to continue at this rate for the rest of 2024, there could be more than 6,000 cases by December.
This is almost four times higher than the 1,603 suspected cases of measles reported in England and Wales in 2023.
Measles can lead to lifelong disabilities and even death.
It can affect the lungs and brain and cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures.
Symptoms of measles include fever, a cough, a cold, and a blotchy rash that is usually not itchy.
The MMR vaccine is free to everyone on the NHS and is available from GP surgeries.
Have you or your family been affected by measles? Email [email protected]
Expert answers MMR questions
TO help deal with parental concerns, Professor Helen Bedford, a specialist in child public health at University College London, tells you all you need to know about the MMR vaccine.
When is the vaccine given?
The MMR vaccine is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme.
It’s typically given via a single shot into the muscle of the thigh or the upper arm.
The first dose is offered to children at the age of one (babies younger than this may have some protection from antibodies passed on from their mother, which start to wear off at about 12 months.)
The second dose is then offered to children aged three years and four months before they start school.
To check to see if you or your child have had the recommended two doses of MMR, you can look at their/your Personal Child Health Record, also known as the red book.
If you can’t find the red book, call your GP and ask them for your vaccine records.
You are never too old to catch up with your MMR vaccine.
If you see from your vaccination records that you did not receive two doses as a child, you can book a vaccination appointment.
Is the vaccine safe?
The MMR vaccine is safe and effective at preventing measles, mumps and rubella.
In the UK, we started using the jab in 1988, so we have decades of experience using it.
The jab is made from much-weakened live versions of the three viruses.
This triggers the immune system to produce antibodies that are protective in the face of future exposure.
It takes up to three weeks after having the vaccine to be fully protected.
Like any vaccine, the MMR jab can cause side-effects, which are usually mild and go away very quickly.
This includes rash, high temperature, loss of appetite and a general feeling of being unwell for about two or three days.
There is also a very small chance children can have a severe allergic reaction.
But compared to the complications of measles, there is no contest that vaccination is by far the safest and most effective route to take.
Why was it linked with autism?
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published a now-discredited paper in medical journal The Lancet.
The paper suggested that the MMR vaccine might be associated with autism and a form of bowel disease.
It led to a sharp decline in vaccination rates.
Even at the time, the research was considered poor.
The Lancet retracted the story in 2010 after Wakefield’s article was found “dishonest” by the General Medical Council.
He was later struck off and subsequently, in 2011, the British Medical Journal declared the story fraudulent.
Does it contain ingredients from pigs?
There are two types of MMR jabs: One with gelatin (animal/pig collagen), and one without it.
For some religious groups, the inclusion of pig products is not acceptable.
Those people should ask for the vaccine without gelatin.