‘Worrying’ clusters of measles cases spread to new regions as experts warn 1 in 5 children is at risk of serious disease
MEASLES cases have started to pop up in new areas of the country, experts have warned.
The highly infectious disease is now also on the loose in the East Midlands and the North West, as parents are urged to get their children jabbed.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said 56 additional cases had been reported in the last seven days, taking the total since October to 521.
Clusters of the measles cases, which have mostly been seen in the West Midlands, London and Yorkshire, have emerged in “other regions,” the health body said.
There are thought to have been 17 cases in the North West and 15 cases in the East Midlands within the last week alone.
The majority of cases were in children under 10.
Dr Vanessa Saliba of the UKHSA said: “As expected, due to worryingly low measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) uptake in some areas across the country, we are now starting to see clusters of cases in “other regions”.
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab uptake is lower than it has been for over a decade, with the last large outbreak in 2012.
In 2017, the UK was declared measles-free after hitting that target and seeing no measles transmission for 12 months.
But the status was lost just a year later following a spate of cases across Europe.
In January, the NHS in England launched a vaccine catch-up programme after figures showed 3.4million children are not fully immunised.
Only 84 per cent of kids have had both MMR vaccine doses by age five – this figure needs to be above 90 per cent to stop outbreaks.
There are still 100s of thousands of children who remain unprotected and therefore remain at risk
Dr Vanessa Saliba
The figure worsens in certain parts of the country, especially in east London and Birmingham – where infections are at their highest levels since the 1990s.
Vaccine update stats suggest almost one in five children starting school this year are at risk of the potentially dangerous disease.
Susceptibility to the bug is also high among 19- to 25-year-olds, many of whom went unvaccinated because of unfounded concerns about the vaccine in the early 2000s.
Dr Vanessa added: “While parents are coming forward to take up the offer of the MMR vaccine for their children, there are still 100s of thousands of children who remain unprotected and therefore remain at risk of serious complications or life-long disability.”
Spread by coughs and sneezes, measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus.
It infects the respiratory tract, causing cold-like symptoms before spreading through the body.
“Even an uncomplicated attack of measles can make people feel very ill,” Professor Helen Bedford, an expert in child public health at University College London, previously told Sun Health.
“About two weeks after being infected, people may experience a fever, watery eyes and a cough.
“After this, a blotchy red rash appears, usually behind the ears and on the forehead and travels down the body.”
But in some cases, the bug can travel to the brain, affect the lungs and brain and cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, seizures, brain inflammation and even death.
“But measles is completely preventable with vaccination,” Dr Vanessa said. “I strongly urge parents to take up the offer of the MMR vaccine now to make sure their child is protected.”
How to keep your child safe
Kids are offered their first dose at age one and their second at three years at four months, just before they start school.
However, if they, or anyone else, miss any jabs, they can catch up at any time through their GP surgery.
Unvaccinated children who come into contact with the disease are currently being advised to stay at home for 21 days.
People should also avoid shopping and public transport if they fall ill, experts have said.
This is because measles is highly contagious, with a patient typically passing the infection on to 20 others.
Have you or your family been affected by measles? Email isabel.shaw@thesun.co.uk
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.