An outbreak of measles has been declared in a UK city – with experts warning parents to ensure their child is vaccinated.
Two cases have been confirmed in Leicester, according to the city council. They are a university student and a school student.
Rob Howard, the city’s director of public health, said: “We have recently had two confirmed cases of measles in the city; one case is a university student, and the other is a school student.
“Neither have had the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine known as MMR.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said the risk of a measles epidemic across the UK is considered small – but there are no growing concerns over a rise in confirmed cases.
Due to low vacccination rates in London, the UKHSA has warned an outbreak of between 40,000 and 160,000 cases could occur in the capital.
Latest figures from the UKHSA, published on November 3, show there were five cases, including three in London, in September. Since then, local authorities have been publishing their own figures as they seek to encourage more people to get vaccinated.
The MMR vaccines are offered to all children, and are judged to be 99 per cent effective over two doses at the age of five. However, as revealed by The Independent in September, some areas have rates as low as 56 per cent.
Across the UK, 85.6 per cent of children who turned five between January and March this year had received their second dose.
Mr Howard said: ““Measles is a very infectious virus and spreads very easily. People who catch measles usually recover completely within a couple of weeks, however it can be a very serious illness that can lead to permanent disability, and occasionally can cause death.”
The NHS in Leicestershire was now working with GP practices in a bid to get more children vaccinated in the coming weeks, the city council said.
More follows.