MMR plea by doctors as measles cases treble in 11 weeks

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In some areas take-up of the triple jab is still low

The unprecedented warning from the Health Protection Agency came as the number of children suffering from the disease trebled over the last 11 weeks.

Experts fear even more will be infected as the autumn school term begins.

This is the worst outbreak since the controversial MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988.

Take-up of the triple jab - which also protects against mumps and rubella - plummeted to 80 per cent after Dr Andrew Wakefield claimed it was linked to autism and bowel problems.

Leading scientists have since debunked Dr Wakefield's claims and rates of uptake are creeping back to recommended levels - except in London, where a quarter of children are still not vaccinated.

Experts say the scare is directly responsible for the recent surge in measles cases.

Up until June 10 this year, 136 had been confirmed by the HPA.

But as of August 24 - just over 11 weeks later - this had more than trebled to 480.

The increase in infection rates has led the Health Protection Agency to issue a nationwide vaccination plea for the first time.

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Doctors have urged parents to make sure children receive the jab before returning to school.

Dr Mary Ramsay, a consultant epidemiologist at the Agency, said: "Over the summer holidays we have seen more cases of measles being reported than we would normally expect.

"This means it is crucial that children are fully immunised with two doses of MMR before they return to school.

"Measles is a highly infectious and dangerous illness and as there is increased close contact in schools, it can spread easily.

"Now is the time parents will be buying their children a new school uniform to prepare for the school year ahead, but being prepared to avoid infection is even more important.

"Parents should think about adding the MMR vaccine to their back to school 'to do' list."

The combined vaccine consists of two jabs - one given at 13 months and a "booster" between the ages of three and five.

Both injections are necessary as up to 10 per cent of children are still not protected against measles after the first one.

In 1998, Dr Wakefield published research in the Lancet linking the MMR jab to autism.

His claims caused a furore, with some parents paying privately for their children to have single vaccines instead of the combined jab.

Others decided not to have their children vaccinated at all.

Prime Minister Tony Blair refused to say whether he had given his son Leo the combined jab.

Since the scare, take-up of the jab has gradually recovered and now 88 per cent of parents are having their children vaccinated.

This is still well below the recommended level of 95 per cent.

Another concern is that the take-up of the booster is much lower than that of the first jab, at only 74 per cent.

The Health Protection Agency is worried that parents are simply forgetting about it.

Dr Ramsay added: "Public confidence in MMR vaccine continues to remain high.

"However, it is also important to remember that children should complete their full course."

The rise in the number of measles cases over the summer has been particularly pronounced in areas where vaccination rates are traditionally low, such as traveller sites.

Last year a 13-year-old boy, from a travelling community in the North-West, became the first person to die of measles since 1992.

But many of the cases are among unvaccinated schoolchildren.

There have also been a number of small outbreaks among holidaymakers returning from abroad.

Dr Mike Fitzpatrick, a GP in Hackney, east London, said ten children with measles were hospitalised in his borough since May.

"We are seeing the biggest outbreak for 20 years and there is no doubt it is down to the low uptake of MMR," he said.

"The only surprise is that it hasn't happened earlier.

"The worry now is that with the return to school this will really take off."

He added: "There have been a few outbreaks in Europe recently and what they show is that if you get up to 1,000 or 2,000 cases you're going to get one or two deaths.

"That must be the fear with this outbreak. It also raises the fear that we will return to outbreaks happening every year - something that hasn't happened for 20 years."

Measles is most common among children under four - but can strike in older children and adults too.

It can have potentially fatal complications including pneumonia, hepatitis and swelling of the brain.

The disease is so dangerous because sufferers are infectious for three days before their symptoms become apparent.

Anti-MMR campaigners said yesterday that the current surge in cases would not have happened if a single measles jab was available on the NHS.

Jackie Fletcher, of campaign group Jabs, said: "Health ministers should be asking themselves why so many parents are still rejecting the MMR vaccine.

"If the Department of Health really has the best interests of children at heart they should reinstate the single vaccine at every NHS surgery across the UK."

 

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