A once eradicated disease now poses fatal risk to children, expert warns

Measles vaccine — Uptake of the measles vaccine has fallen in recent years, causing a rise in cases (Picture: Getty/iStockphoto)

Soaring measles cases could lead to the return of deaths from a disease that was once eradicated from the UK, a health chief has warned.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, the chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, made the comments as the most recent health data showed a shocking rise in the number of confirmed cases.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has previously warned that low and falling vaccination rates would lead to sustained outbreaks. Vaccination uptake has dropped in recent years due to restrictions implemented during the Covid pandemic and growing anti-vaccine sentiment.

There are also concerns for young adults who were not vaccinated as children following false claims the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine was linked to autism in the late 1990s.

‘If vaccine coverage does not improve, it is likely that deaths and other complications from measles will reappear,’ said Professor Pollard, speaking to The Times.

‘This disease can be prevented, indeed in 2016 we showed that it can be completely blocked from our shores. With the virus transmitting in England today, it would be a tragedy if any child were to die from measles when we have the tools in front of us to stop it.’

Cases of measles in 2023 — Laboratory confirmed cases of measles by month in 2023 (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)

The Midlands has been at the centre of one of the country’s worst outbreaks.

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‘Uptake of MMR in the region is much lower than needed to protect the population, which is giving this serious disease a chance to get a foothold in our communities,’ said Dr Naveed Syed, a consultant in communicable disease control at the UKHSA.

Speaking to The Times, Dr Syed said he was seeing measles cases rising ‘every day’.

Measles is caused by a virus, and is highly contagious. Early symptoms include a high temperature, runny nose, sneezing and a cough – similar to many childhood ailments. In the most severe cases, it can spread to the lungs and the brain, causing serious complications.

The UK first introduced a measles vaccination in 1968, following which cases and deaths dropped significantly. In recent decades there have been several years with no deaths from measles recorded, with only a single death in most others, more commonly in adults.

To achieve herd immunity, communities require 95% vaccination coverage.

What is measles?

Measles is an infection that spreads very easily and can cause serious problems in some people. Having the MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent it.

The disease can lead to serious problems if it spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or brain.

Problems that can be caused by measles include:

Pneumonia
Meningitis
Blindness
Seizures (fits)

These problems are rare, but some people are more at risk. This includes babies and people with weakened immune systems.

Source: NHS

The country was declared measles-free in 2016, with the only cases reported having been brought into the country, rather than transmitted within communities.

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Now however, with vaccine rates falling, national coverage is around 85%, resulting in a steep rise in cases.

The spread is not limited to the UK, with Europe recording 30,000 confirmed cases between January and October last year, confirmed to 941 in 2022.