Measles: What is the "national call to action" and how can you protect your children?

A “national call to action” is needed across the country to ensure children are vaccinated against potentially deadly measles, the head of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, warned that measles is spreading among unvaccinated communities, and urged parents to check whether their children have had the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab. Figures released by the UKHSA show there have been 216 confirmed measles cases and 103 probable cases in the West Midlands since October 1 last year.

Four-fifths (80 per cent) have been found in Birmingham while 10 per cent were identified in Coventry, with the majority being in children aged under 10.

The UKHSA has declared a national incident, which it said is an internal mechanism signalling the growing public health risk and enabling it to focus work in specific areas.

"The focus this morning obviously is on the West Midlands and I’m going there, but I think the real issue is we need a call to action right across the country,” Dame Jenny said. We had established measles elimination status in the UK, but in fact our vaccination rates now have dropped on average to about only 85 per cent of children arriving at school having had the two MMR doses.

"In the West Midlands, that’s in some areas down to 81 per cent, (and) if we go down to the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board area, that’s just over 70 per cent. So we are well under the recommended coverage for MMR vaccination that the WHO (World Health Organisation) recommends."

She said uptake of MMR vaccines does differ among communities.

Asked which communities, she said: "This is an important point, I think, for the West Midlands, for those in Muslim communities, they will be not keen to take up one of the MMR vaccines that we offer which has a pork-based derivative.

"But it’s really important that they’re aware there is a non-porcine vaccine which is available to them and very effective. So it’s that sort of understanding and ensuring that knowledge is available to people so they can make choices.”

The UKHSA carried out a specific risk assessment last July in London because up to 20 per cent of children were entering school unvaccinated. Dame Jenny said this was a "significant risk" to the population in London.

"Thankfully, many families have come forward and children have been vaccinated, but the rates remain low," she added. "Predictably, we’re seeing that swing move to other, particularly inner city areas, where we know vaccination rates are low."

Official figures show uptake of the vaccine is at its lowest point in over a decade.