Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated against measles this half term holiday as cases continue to rise in the capital.
There have been nearly 400 cases of measles in London since January this year because of lower take-up compared to the rest of the country – prompting a vaccination campaign in schools, GP practices and even pop-up community clinics in parts of London where uptake is lowest.
Efforts to increase the number of people vaccinated against measles has seen nearly 10,000 more doses given to those aged between five and 25 this year but cases are still on the rise. This has led to the creation of a young people’s community immunisation service being set up to increase the ways people can get the jab.
This NHS service is studying vaccination data to establish those areas most in need and focusing its efforts on targeting ‘hotspots’ where take-up is lower than elsewhere in London in a vaccination drive expected to last years.
London GP Dr Oge Ilozue said: “The data we’ve got in the capital is really encouraging; some people have caught up with their MMR vaccinations and are now protected against these disease but the current threat still remains, as measles is still circulating in London and across the country, with children and young people who are unvaccinated being at significant risk of catching measles – it is vital that everyone is up to date with their MMR vaccinations and those who aren’t get protected.
“With half-term just around the corner it is a really good time for parents, children and young people to check their vaccination status, either with their GP or in their red book and ensure they are fully vaccinated against measles”.
