Why is the UK no longer measles-free?
The UK has lost its measles-free status three years after the virus was eliminated in the country.
Last year there were 991 confirmed cases in England and Wales, compared with 284 in 2017 – when the UK initially achieved the WHO status.
Reasons for the rise include measles continuing to be endemic in many countries – Albania, Czechia and Greece have also lost their status.
The drop in vaccine uptake may be partly because of complacency – people thinking there is no longer a real threat of infection, or that vaccines are unsafe. Another reason for the increases in confirmed cases in the UK is that take-up of the second dose of the MMR is at 87 per cent, below the WHO target of 95 per cent or above.
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