Vaccination call by Shropshire Council's health boss in wake of measles outbreak

Shropshire Council's health chief is encouraging parents to make sure their children have the measles vaccine, as it emerged there have been 32 confirmed cases of the infection in the West Midlands.

More than 120 cases of measles have now been confirmed in outbreaks affecting five areas of England.

Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for health, adult social care and housing, said about 95 per cent of children in the county have been immunised against measles, mumps and rubella, but there are still children at risk.

Public Health England (PHE) said the current cases are linked to "ongoing large outbreaks" in Europe.

The most recent updates show that, as of January 9, West Yorkshire had 34 confirmed cases, Cheshire and Liverpool had 29, there were 32 in the West Midlands, 20 in Surrey and seven in Greater Manchester.

The health body previously warned that those who recently travelled or were going to travel to Romania, Italy and Germany without receiving two doses of the MMR vaccine are particularly at risk.

Mr Chapman said Shropshire Council’s public health team continues to promote immunisation and would encourage all parents to have their children fully protected.

He said: "Measles is a very serious illness and as the recent outbreak in Birmingham is showing, children who have not been immunised are at great risk of contracting measles and becoming seriously ill.

“Whilst around 95 per cent of children in Shropshire have been immunised against measles, mumps and rubella, we still have children in our community who are at risk of contracting this serious illness.

“Therefore, I recommend that the parents of these unprotected children visit their GP surgery and have their children immunised as soon as possible. The national childhood immunisation is a free service and is part of the NHS.”

Measles is a highly infectious viral disease which typically lasts up to 10 days and begins with cold-like symptoms and a measles rash.

It can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia.

PHE said the overall risk of measles is low among the population, as the UK achieved World Health Organisation (WHO) elimination status in 2016, alongside Denmark and Spain.

This means the number of cases in the UK across a period of at least three years was low enough to prevent the disease spreading among the general population.

The MMR vaccine is a combined inoculation which protects against measles, mumps and rubella and is available to all adults and children who have not completed the course.

The full course requires two doses and anyone who is unsure of their vaccination status is encouraged to check with their GP.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said: "This serves as an important reminder for parents to take up the offer of MMR vaccination for their children at one year of age and as a pre-school booster at three years and four months of age.

"Children and young adults who missed out on their MMR vaccine in the past or are unsure if they had two doses should contact their GP practice to catch up.

"We'd also encourage people to ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccine before travelling to countries with ongoing measles outbreaks."