IN MY VIEW . . . NOT GIVING A CHILD THEIR JABS IS A FORM OF NEGLECT

UNTIL recently, we thought measles would soon join the ranks of the infectious diseases that, thanks to vaccines, have been all but eradicated — yet it would appear not.

Already this year, there have been more than 900 cases in England, compared with 259 in 2017 and just 55 in 1998 – enough for Public Health England to declare a national outbreak.

Health Protection Scotland say the number of measles cases over the last four years has ranged from none in 2015 to 26 in 2016.

Measles is a highly contagious viral illness — It starts with a high temperature, followed by a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis and, by the third or fourth day, a widespread rash.

Just before the rash breaks out, spots can be seen in the mouth that look like grains of salt — these Koplik’s spots confirm the diagnosis.

But it rarely stops there. Measles temporarily suppresses immune response so, in 30 per cent of cases, another infection, such as pneumonia, can occur. There is also a risk of complications including corneal scarring, convulsions and brain inflammation, which can result in lifelong brain damage.

A rare complication is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a progressive degenerative brain disease occurring ten years or more after.

In developing countries, the death rate from measles is 4 to 10 per cent of affected children — but, as measles is a virus, there is no effective treatment, just hope. And we escape none of the dangers of measles in a civilised society.

But what we do have is easy access to the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine — two injections, given at 12 months and three years, to ensure protection from this disease.

Yet, in England, take-up has fallen for the fourth year in a row. In my view, parents who opt not to let their child have the MMR are at best foolhardy and at worst guilty of neglect.