Jab plea as measles spreads

The jab - which protects against measles, mumps and rubella - has proved highly controversial over concerns it may be linked to autism. Experts fear that infected children returning to school next week may cause measles, which is highly infectious, to spread.

The HPA said it was difficult to confirm reasons why there has been a jump but parents not vaccinating their children and lower uptake of the second MMR dose are thought to be factors.

Figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) showed the number of confirmed cases of children suffering measles was higher than expected for this time of year.

Latest reports showed 480 cases of measles in the UK so far this year - compared with 756 cases during the whole of 2006, which was the highest year on record.

Up until June 10 this year, 136 cases of measles had been confirmed by the HPA. But just 11 weeks later, the latest figures showed this had more than trebled to 480 confirmed cases.

More samples are arriving in HPA laboratories every day with about half testing positive, the HPA said.

Measles, which can be life threatening and cause severe disabilities, is most common among children aged one to four who have not been immunised, but can strike older children and adults too.

Babies are given the first dose of the MMR jab when they are around 13 months old and the second jab between the ages of three-years-four-months and five, according to the Department of Health. The second jab is vital to keep immunity rates high.

After the first dose, between 5% and 10% of children are left unprotected from the diseases, but this falls to less than 1% after two jabs.