‘No treatment or cure’ for measles, health chiefs warn amid outbreak fears – is your child one of 102,000 at high risk?
BRITS are being urged to make sure they are up to date with their jabs after a surge in measles cases.
Health chiefs said it was important people were fully protected from the bug for which there is no “treatment or cure”.
Measles cases in England have reached a three-year high, with 149 confirmed cases recorded between January and Septmber 2023, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
This compares to the 54 cases in in 2022.
Jack Lewis, from the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, warned the public just how dangerous the infection can be.
“Measles is more than just a rash,” he said.
“It is highly infectious and we’re seeing cases on the rise.”
He said there was no “treatment or cure” for measles, but the MMR vaccine offered “excellent protection”.
“While we would strongly urge parents to make arrangements for their child to be vaccinated, it’s worth emphasising the MMR vaccine isn’t just for children.
“It is important at any age, particularly if you have a weakened immune system or long-term health condition.”
The latest NHS figures show the MMR vaccine uptake is the lowest since 2010-11, with only 84.5 per cent of children having received both doses by age five.
This is well below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended immunity rate of 95 per cent.
Up to 102,000 children in England aged four and five started reception this year started the school year without being jabbed, meaning they are at high risk.
Susceptibility to the bug is also high among 19- to 25-year-olds, of which many went unvaccinated because of unfounded worries about the vaccine in the early 2000s.
Many parents, especially in London, did not take their children for the two shots of MMR vaccine at the ages of one and nearly four, because of this.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
If one person has it, up to nine out of 10 people around him or her will also become infected if they are not protected.
The disease can lead to serious health complications, particularly in immunosuppressed people and young infants.
It is also more severe in pregnancy, and increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or preterm delivery.
The main symptoms are a fever and a rash but it can cause serious complications, including meningitis and pneumonia. For some, it is fatal.
Other symptoms include; sore, red, watery eyes, a cough and aching and feeling generally unwell.
Make sure your child is protected
All children are offered the first dose of the super-effective MMR vaccine at age one, and then the second at age three – but people can catch up on missed jabs at any age.
If you know you or your child isn’t up to date with their jabs, call your GP for an appointment.
“It’s never too late to get vaccinated,” Prof Helen Bedford, an expert in child public health at University College London, told The Sun.
“Make sure you check your child’s red vaccination book, but if you can’t find it, or they don’t have a record, call your GP up to check.”