BOLTON health bosses are again taking the lead and heading a vaccination campaign aimed at wiping out measles.

Starting in October all schoolchildren born around 1990 will be called by their GPs for vaccination.

This is to ensure all schoolchildren in Bolton have received their second boost of the measles injection.

In September 1994, Bolton spearheaded a Department of Health catch-up campaign to ensure all children in the five-15 age group were vaccinated against contracting measles.

This campaign covered more than 95 per cent of youngsters in that age group and in the past two years there has been no single case of the disease which can, in its most virulent form, kill, maim or damage a child.

"There's been a local elimination of measles which is quite simply wonderful news," said Dr Robert Aston, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control with Wigan and Bolton Health Authority.

"Measles is dangerous and very nasty in older children and adults and can prove fatal."

Now, to catch the estimated 8,000 children who started school two years ago, GPs across the borough will be ensuring they are contacted and calling them in for vaccination.

This will ensure 99 per cent coverage of all children.

Five-year-olds now starting school will be vaccinated.

"Since the launch there are an estimated 8,000 children who did not automatically receive the second boost of vaccine," said Dr Aston.

Further information about the latest campaign, its aims and who it targets are available from Bolton Community Healthcare Trust or from Dr Aston himself at the Department of Public Health Medicine.

Dr Aston and his colleagues are sending out to GPs a list of names of children who need to be called in for vaccination.

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