Guide to: childhood vaccinations

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.

Anyone who has not received two doses of the vaccine is at risk of catching measles, mumps and/or rubella.

What is measles?

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of an infected person. Initial symptoms, which appear ten to 12 days after infection, include a high temperature, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. Several days later, a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards.

The most serious complications of measles include blindness, encephalitis – an infection that causes brain swelling, severe diarrhoea and respiratory infections such as pneumonia.

How to reduce the risk

According to the WHO, 93-95 per cent of the population need to be vaccinated against measles to achieve ‘herd immunity’. The vaccination most commonly used in the UK is the MMR jab.

The MMR vaccine

Introduced in the UK in 1988, the vaccination is given in two doses as part of the NHS Childhood Vaccination programme. The first dose is offered to children between 12 and 13 months. They usually receive the second dose before they start school, normally between the ages of three and five.

There was a significant decline in the number of children having the vaccine during the late 1990s and into 2000 because of a study, now discredited, which claimed there was a link between the jab and autism.

8 weeks 6-in-1 vaccine Pneumococcal (PCV) Rotavirus Meningitis B
12 weeks 6-in-1 vaccine (2nd dose) Rotavirus (2nd dose)
16 weeks 6-in-1 vaccine (3rd dose) Pneumococcal (2nd dose) Meningitis B (2nd dose)
1 year Hib/Meningitis C MMR (1st dose) Pneumococcal (3rd dose) Meningitis B (3rd dose)
2 to 10 years old Flu vaccine (every year)
3 years and 4 months MMR (2nd dose) 4-in-1 pre-school booster]]