A “fast-spreading” measles outbreak in north London has left more than 60 children infected – and about a dozen needing hospital treatment.
The Sunday Times reported 60 suspected cases in Enfield, with 34 so far confirmed by the UK Health Security Agency between 1 January and 9 February.
According to a message posted by the NHS Ordnance Unity Centre For Health GP surgery, infections have been confirmed across at least seven schools – “and it is spreading”.
None of the infected children had been fully immunised, the surgery said, prompting renewed calls for parents to make sure their children are vaccinated.
So what are the symptoms of measles, what should you do if you think your child has it – and why are some people hesitant to get the vaccine?
What are the symptoms of measles?
The first symptoms of measles include:
• A high temperature
• A runny or blocked nose
• Sneezing
• A cough
• Red, sore or watery eyes
Cold-like symptoms are followed a few days later by a rash, which starts on the face and behind the ears, before it spreads.
The spots are usually raised and can join together to form blotchy patches which are not usually itchy.
Some people may get small spots in their mouth too.
What should you do if you think your child has measles?
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if you think your child has measles.
If your child has been vaccinated, it is very unlikely they have measles.
You should not to go to the doctor without calling ahead, as measles is very infectious.
If your child is diagnosed with measles by a doctor, make sure they avoid close contact with babies and anyone who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system.
When should you keep your child off school?
If your child has measles they should stay off school or nursery for at least four days after the rash first appears.
Your child’s school or local health protection team will let you know if your child has been in contact with someone who has measles, and tell you what you need to do.
Those who are more susceptible to infection, for example unvaccinated siblings of a child with measles, may be told to stay off school for up to 21 days.
What are the potential complications of measles?
Measles can lead to serious problems if it spreads to the lungs or brain and in rare cases can result in death. Around one in 5,000 individuals with measles is likely to die.
Last year, a child in Liverpool died after becoming ill with measles and other health problems.
About 1 in 5 people with measles will need hospital treatment and 1 in 15 will develop severe complications.
Measles can cause deafness, fits, pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and brain damage.
People at higher risk of complications include babies and young children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immunity.
What is the MMR jab?
The measles vaccination is combined with protecting against mumps and rubella in the MMR jab. It is considered to be safe and highly effective.
The MMR vaccine was introduced to the UK in 1988 and a measles vaccine has been available since 1968.
There used to be between 160,000 and 800,000 cases a year in England and Wales, and around 100 people died from acute measles annually.
But since the vaccine was introduced in 1968, it is estimated that 20 million cases and 4,500 deaths have been prevented.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine are given, providing lifelong protection. The first dose is usually offered to babies aged one, with the second dose given at three years and four months.
If either dose has been missed, you can still ask your GP for the vaccine.
A dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. File pic: AP
Falling vaccine rates, rising cases
Falling immunisation rates have stoked fears of a widespread outbreak of the virus, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning that Britain had lost its measles elimination status last month.
From 2021 to 2023, the country was considered to have “eliminated” the disease, but global health officials say measles transmission was re-established in the UK in 2024.
Vaccination coverage has flatlined in recent years, with recorded measles infections in the UK soaring to 3,681 in 2024.
The latest figures for England show that in 2024-25, just 83.7% of five-year-olds had received both MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine doses, down year-on-year from 83.9%.
This was the lowest level since 2009-10 and well short of the 95% recommended by the WHO to achieve herd immunity.
When and why did people stop vaccinating?
In 1998, a study by British doctor Andrew Wakefield was published in The Lancet linking the MMR vaccine to autism.
The study was discredited, but not before causing mass hysteria over the safety of the vaccine after the study received global media coverage.
MMR immunisations in the UK fell to about 80% nationally in the late 1990s and early 2000s and took many years to recover.
In 2006, measles transmission became re-established in the UK, and in 2007, cases of measles exceeded 1,000 for the first time in 10 years.
The Lancet retracted Wakefield’s study in 2010, and he was struck off the UK medical register.
Why are vaccination numbers still low?
Helen Bedford, a professor of children’s health at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute, told Sky News a combination of things may be stopping parents from getting their children vaccinated.
“It is mainly due to lack of access,” Professor Bedford said.
“People may not know when vaccines are due, how to make an appointment, then there’s actually getting to the appointment.
“For some parents who are suffering the impact of poverty, paying a bus fare to get your child to a GP surgery may be a step too far, even though they understand vaccination is very important.”
Professor Bedford added since the COVID pandemic, more parents are asking questions about vaccinations, which can lead to them searching the internet for answers.
“We want parents to ask questions but unfortunately due to lack of personnel and health visitors, they can’t always get answers or even an opportunity to have a discussion,” she said.
“That’s when they turn to other sources of information, like social media or the internet, where we know there is a lot of disinformation.”
Fears about the link to autism have persisted despite being proven false, and vaccine hesitancy has been fuelled by misinformation on social media.
