Outbreak of measles linked to fall in MMR vaccinations

VACCINATION rates for children in England have dropped below the World Health Organisation guidelines, figures show, amid an outbreak of measles.

The proportion of children being immunised against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) fell for the fourth consecutive year to the lowest rate since 2011-12. The WHO recommends that

coverage is at least 95 per cent, but MMR coverage for those reaching their fifth birthday fell from 95per cent in 2016-17 to 94.9per cent in 2017-18, according to NHS Digital data.

The UK was officially said to have “eliminated” measles last year but there have been nearly 900 cases in the last few months, Public Health England said. The cases were linked to travel

and outbreaks in Europe. Officials warned that young people aged 15 and over who missed the MMR vaccine have been particularly affected.

Dr Doug Brown, the chief executive of the British Society for Immunology, said: “We are currently witnessing the impact of this lower vaccination rate in the ongoing measles outbreak in England.”