A fresh alert over measles was sparked today when London was revealed to be the area worst hit by a nationwide fall in the uptake of the MMR vaccine.
The proportion of children to receive the vaccine by age two fell across England from 91.2 per cent in 2017/18 to 90.3 per cent in 2018/19, according to NHS Digital. It is the fifth consecutive year of falling coverage.
London had the lowest uptake at 83 per cent, down from 85.1 per cent. The worst performing boroughs were Hackney (74.3 per cent), Westminster (75.7 per cent) and Haringey (77.8 per cent). The World Health Organisation target is for 95 per cent coverage to ensure “herd immunity” and prevent outbreaks. Earlier this year the UK lost its status as a “measles-free nation”.
The number of measles infections in London is running at almost double the rate of last year, with 334 cases between January and the end of June.
Experts believe the “anti-vaxxer” movement of avoiding vaccines, linked to the 1998 Andrew Wakefield scandal in which he wrongly linked the MMR vaccine with autism, has contributed to poor uptake of MMR.
The vaccine is normally given at 12 months and at three years four months, before children start primary school. Today’s figures showed national coverage at five years had fallen 0.4 points to 94.5 per cent, and in London to 90.4 per cent.
Public Health England last month warned that about 30,000 five-year-olds in London enter reception class having not had any MMR.
Measles is a highly infectious viral illness. Many of the London cases are believed to be linked to imported cases of measles from outbreaks across Europe. France, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Germany have seen the highest rates.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The loss of our measles-free status is a stark reminder that devastating diseases can, and will, resurface … I will not rule out action so that every child is properly protected.”
