The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has declared a national incident over the rise in measles.
The agency revealed there have been 216 confirmed measles cases and 103 probable cases in the West Midlands since October 1 last year.
Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, warned the disease is spreading among unvaccinated communities.
Four-fifths (80%) have been found in Birmingham while 10% were identified in Coventry, with the majority being in children aged under 10.
Dame Jenny urged parents to check whether their children have had the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.
The agency urged for a ‘national call to action’ to ensure children are vaccinated against the potentially deadly disease.
The declarion of a national incident is an internal mechanism signalling the growing public health risk and enabling it to focus work in specific areas.
Dame Jenny said people have ‘forgotten what measles is like’, and children can be unwell for a week or two with symptoms including a nasty rash, high fever and ear infections.
What does measles look like?
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
She added that the virus is highly infectious.
There can also be serious complications, hospital admissions and death.
Last week, Birmingham Children’s Hospital said it had been ‘inundated’ with the highest number of measles cases in decades, with more than 50 children in need of treatment over the past month.
The Midlands has been at the centre of one of the country’s worst outbreaks.
‘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’.
To achieve herd immunity, communities require 95% vaccination coverage.
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.
This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
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