Over 102,000 children in England will be starting primary school in the reception class (age 4-5 years old) without being fully protected against measles this September.
Measles continues to circulate across England with all regions having cases or outbreaks. All children returning to school after a summer break without being up to date with their MMR vaccinations are at risk of catching measles in their classroom from an infected classmate.
- Nine out of ten unvaccinated children can catch measles from an infected classmate – Measles Fact Sheet
- One in five will require a hospital visit if they catch measles – Getting back on track to eliminating measles blog
- One in 15 will experience complications from measles, such as meningitis and sepsis – Getting back on track to eliminating measles blog
General
- There is no medical treatment for measles; vaccination is the best protection against becoming seriously unwell
- The Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and has been used since the early 1980s.
- Over 20 million cases of measles have been prevented since the start of measles vaccination in the UK. Over 4,500 lives have been saved as a result (81 lives per year) *source is UKHSA blog.
- MMR vaccination is free on the NHS with the first dose being offered when a child is one year and the second at 3 years and 4 months old. This provides long lasting protection against measles, mumps and rubella which can cause long term health conditions such as blindness and asthma.
- The evidence is clear; there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism
Call to action
- If your child has missed their first or second dose of MMR vaccine, contact your GP practice to book an appointment.
- If you are unsure if your child is due a vaccination or has missed a vaccination, check their red book or contact your GP practice.
- For adults, it is never too late to catch up on any missed MMR vaccinations, contact your GP practice to book an appointment
- For more information visit the NHS website