Measles warning for Bolton parents who need to act now

The virus can lead to serious complications lifelong disability and death.

It can affect the lungs and brain and cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures.

And parents are being urged to protect their children as the vaccine rate is below the target to prevent cases of the disease here.

Bolton’s vaccine uptake is at 87.6 per cent.

The World Health Organisation sets a target of 95 per cent vaccine uptake to be reached across the UK.

A new NHS campaign has been launched after figures showed there have been 216 confirmed measles cases and 103 probable cases in the West Midlands since October 1 last year.

The majority (80%) came from Birmingham, with the remainder in Coventry. Most cases were in children under 10.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared a national incident, an internal mechanism signalling the growing public health risk.

Bolton health bosses are now working to increase the vaccination numbers by encouraging  parents to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for their children.

Cllr Andy Morgan, Major Opposition Spokesman for Adults, Health & Wellbeing said: “It is somewhat understandable that some people are vaccination weary after covid, but it is as important now as it was prior to the pandemic, that parents and their children take up the offer of the MMR vaccination.

“Bolton is not far off the national average vaccination rate and with a bit of a push we should be able to get to the recommended 95 per cent population coverage.

“People who are unvaccinated, for any reason, including those who refuse vaccination, risk getting infected with measles and spreading it to others.

“This includes those who are vulnerable and who cannot take up the vaccination offer because of other medical conditions which prevent them doing so.

“I would encourage everyone, including parents whose children are not vaccinated, to consider again the MMR offer and get vaccinated at the earliest opportunity by contacting their GP.”

WHO said that sliding vaccination rates were to blame, and more people were now travelling abroad after Covid-19, increasing the risk of cross-border disease transmission and spread within communities.

Dr Helen Wall, Clinical Director for Population Health at NHS Greater Manchester, said: “In light of the escalating number of measles cases in the West Midlands, particularly amongst unvaccinated children, we are stepping up our efforts to get key messages and support to our primary care colleagues and other health and care professionals across Greater Manchester.

“We have not had a confirmed case in our city region since October 2023 but we are ensuring adequate infection prevention and control measures in our clinical settings, including GP practices and hospitals, and that appropriate isolation and contact tracing procedures are in place.

Children who get measles can become very ill and some will suffer life changing complications.”

MMR is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme, with one dose offered at one year and another second dose at three years four months.”

Speaking at the Institute for Government Conference in London, Labour’s Karin Smyth said “alarm bells have been sounding” since the UK was stripped of its measles-free status in 2019, adding that the Government “failed to act”.

Ms Smyth said “red tape” that stops health visitors administering jabs “has left thousands of children without their MMR vaccination”.