Unvaccinated children to face isolation for 21 days during measles surge

Children who have not been vaccinated against measles may have to enter isolation for 21 days if a classmate becomes infected.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) predict the capital alone could see 160,000 cases occur as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates are at the lowest in a decade.

Both Haringey and Barnet Council wrote to parents to tell them any unvaccinated child who comes into close contact with a measles case could be asked to self-isolate for up to 21 days.

This week statistics from NHS England show that across the country more than 102,000 children aged four and five starting in reception are not protected against catching measles, mumps and rubella.

32,000 children in London alone aren’t vaccinated, reveal NHS England, and just three-quarters of children in the capital have received the two required doses of the MMR jab, which protects against measles. This is 10% lower than the national average.

Measles is highly infectious and if left unvaccinated nine out of ten children in a classroom will catch the disease if just one child is infectious.

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Source: The Independent, 15 September 2023