MEASLES and the MMR (measles mumps and rubella) inoculation take up has been in the news recently, mainly due to the outbreak in south Wales.
And Public Health England (PHE) this week published the latest quarterly figures for confirmed measles cases in England and linked it to a new national catch-up programme to improve MMR up-take for those most at risk of catching measles – especially those of secondary school age.
Thurrock Council’s portfolio holder for health, Cllr Barbara Rice, said this week: “Thurrock has a good history on measles and take-up of the MMR immunisation programme.
“There were no reported cases of measles in the borough in the year to the end of March, and only two in the year before that.
“Across the whole region – Anglia and Essex – which includes Thurrock, the MMR take-up for children under five having both the needed doses has been consistently above the national average and for 2011-12 the last year which figures are available for, was well above 85 per cent.”
But she added: “The national target is to have 95 per cent of children under the age of five inoculated, so we must not be complacent.
“I would urge all parents to make sure their child has both doses of the MMR. Measles and mumps are really horrible diseases and rubella – or German measles – can have horrifying effects on pregnant women. All three are easily preventable.
“Many people were worried by the discredited publicity, but now they should ensure all their children are inoculated.”
The aim of the new national programme is to prevent measles outbreaks by vaccinating as many unvaccinated and partially-vaccinated ten- to 16-year-olds as possible in time for the next school year.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE, said: “Measles is a potentially fatal but entirely preventable disease so we are very disappointed measles cases have recently increased in England.
“The catch-up programme set out today recommends an approach to specifically target those young people most at risk. Those who have not been vaccinated should urgently seek at least one dose of MMR vaccination which will give them 95 per cent protection against measles. A second dose is then needed to provide almost complete protection.”
