Measles warning for young children as MMR jab rate drops in England
More than 1 in 10 school entry-age children in England are at risk of measles because they have not had their vaccine jabs, data reveals.
Coverage for the two doses of MMR that helps protect five-year-olds against measles, mumps and rubella is currently at 85.5%.
That is the lowest for a decade, and well below the 95% target recommended to stop a resurgence of measles.
Measles is highly contagious, more than Covid, and can cause serious illness. Nine in every 10 people can catch it if they are unjabbed and exposed.
As well as a distinctive rash, measles can lead to severe complications, such as pneumonia and brain inflammation, and sometimes can be fatal.
Vaccination can remove almost all of these risks.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine give 99% protection against measles and rubella and about 88% protection against mumps.
When a high percentage of the population is protected through vaccination, it becomes harder for the disease to pass between people.
But since the start of the Covid pandemic, there has been a concerning drop in the number of children receiving these vaccines on time.
Experts say some parents may not have realised doctors were still offering appointments, or did not want to burden the NHS.
Coverage of the first dose of the MMR vaccine in two-year-olds has now fallen below 90%. This means that more than one in 10 children under the age of five are not fully protected from measles and are at risk of catching it.
Among all five-year-olds in England, 93.7% have had one dose and 85.5% have had the recommended two doses.
Source: BBC News, 1 February 2022