Cases of measles at an 18 year high

We’ve had the Year of the Whooping Cough. Now it’s time for Year of the Measles.

The illness is at its highest level for 18 years, with 2,016 confirmed cases reported in England and Wales last year.

Prolonged outbreaks of cases occurred mainly in Merseyside, Surrey and Sussex, as well as the travelling communities.

Measles is a very infectious disease, with the only way to prevent these outbreaks being a good uptake of the MMR vaccine.

Symptoms include, cold symptoms, red eyes, sensitivity to light, fever, white spots in the mouth and a red-brown rash.

Head of immunisation at the Health Protection Agency, Dr Mary Ramsay said: “Coverage of MMR is now at historically high levels but measles is highly infectious and can spread easily among communities that are poorly vaccinated, and can affect anyone who is susceptible, including toddlers in whom vaccination has been delayed. Older children who were not vaccinated at the routine age, who may now be teenagers, are at particular risk of becoming exposed, while at school for example.