Vaccine drive to tackle ‘killer’ measles outbreak
NHS targets disease hotspots
HEALTH chiefs are running a measles vaccination drive to hold back outbreaks of the killer disease.
NHS England is inviting almost a million 19 to 25-year-olds from infection epicentres to be vaccinated.
In rare cases measles can cause cognitive disabilities, blindness and deafness. It can also kill – one in 5,000 children with measles will die from it.
UK Health Security Agency data shows 733 cases from October to March, with the real number of infections probably much higher.
Steve Russell, NHS England Vaccinations Director, said: “Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world and can cause serious harm to adults and children of all ages. But the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine gives life-long protection against becoming seriously unwell.
“So with cases of measles on the rise, it is not worth the risk of going without this vital protection. Measles, mumps and rubella are preventable.
“But catching them is easy when people are unvaccinated, so I urge people to come forward and get the MMR vaccine sooner, rather than later.”
More than 900,000 unvaccinated 19 to 25-year-olds in the West Midlands, London and Manchester will be sent vaccine invitations from today.
Last week 200,000 unvaccinated 16 to 19-year-olds in those areas received their own NHS jab reminders.
The World Health Organisation stripped the UK of its measles-free status last year due to low vaccine
uptake. The rate of uptake declined from 1998, when Andrew Wakefield falsely linked the MMR jab to autism.
Even though the claim was discredited, and Wakefield struck off the medical register, the vaccination programme took years to recover.
Now MMR vaccine coverage is again low, the lowest it has been for more than a decade, with just 85% of youngsters having both doses of the jab before they start school aged five.
The World Health Organisation says 95% of a population should have both doses to maintain herd immunity.
Prof Andrew Pollard, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said: “The bottom line is that everyone should make sure that they have completed two doses of MMR vaccine to protect them from the measles virus in this dangerous outbreak.”
And he warned: “The virus will kill if the outbreak is not contained.”
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, a consultant epidemiologist for immunisation at the UKHSA, added: “Anyone who is not vaccinated against measles can catch it. Being unvaccinated also means you risk spreading the disease to others, including those at greatest risk of becoming seriously ill.”
He said this group included babies, who are not vaccinated until their first birthday, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system.