Mumps and measles are on the increase in Wales with parents being warned to get their children vaccinated as the worst outbreak for more than 20 years continues to spread.

Health officials today said as of Tuesday afternoon the total number of cases of measles in Mid and West Wales was reported as 265 with five of those confirmed to be in Powys.

And the National Public Health Service for Wales said it was also investigating 543 cases of mumps reported in the six months to June 28 this year. In 2008, only 329 cases were reported in the whole of the year.

A drop in the take-up of the triple MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, is thought to be to blame.

Health officials say more than 45,000 schoolchildren in the country are at risk from contracting measles and mumps as they have not been vaccinated.

Dr Marion Lyons, head of the health protection teams for the NPHS, said: “The numbers of new cases in Wales being reported each day may seem small but parents should remember that in some recent years in Wales, we have not seen a single case of measles all year, so new cases each day remains a cause for alarm.

“Parents need to be concerned if their children are not vaccinated, regardless of where they live in Wales.”

Meanwhile, GPs have seen a leap of almost 50 per cent in the numbers of people contacting them with fears they have swine flu in the last week.

About 40,000 people a week in England and Wales are now complaining to their doctor of “flu-like illness”, with a huge rise in the number of young being affected.