You may have heard the news that there have been confirmed measles outbreaks in Liverpool, Leeds and the West Midlands. There are also several large measles outbreaks in Europe, with Romania, Italy, Germany and Greece being the worst affected countries. Here in the South East, there has been a confirmed outbreak of measles in Surrey in a range of age groups.
Measles can be a very serious disease, leading to ear and chest infections, fits, diarrhoea, and damage to the brain. Measles can kill.
Your child is at risk of measles if he or she has not been given the MMR vaccination. All children are offered the MMR vaccine as part of their routine vaccination schedule, usually within a month of their first birthday. Children then have a second injection of the vaccine before starting school, usually at three years and four months. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are needed to give the best protection. If your child has not received both doses of the MMR vaccine, please consider making an appointment with your GP as soon as possible to get them immunised. If you are unsure whether they have received the MMR jab, check your child's personal child health record (the Red Book). If this doesn't help, contact your surgery.
