Protection against deadly disease remains low amid soaring Leicester cases - see the situation where you live

A  four-year-old boy sits on the kitchen counter with his arm raised while his mother applies measles medicine to him (stock image)
-Credit: (Image: VLAYKO)


Fewer children are being protected against a deadly but preventable disease, data shows. Nationally, the uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab has fallen, with the proportion of kids fully vaccinated at the lowest level since 2010, the Reach Data Unit said.

Just 83.9 per cent of youngsters had two doses of the vaccine at the end of the 2023/24 financial year against a target of 95 per cent. However, the situation locally is even worse, with only 79.4 per cent of Leicester children having had both in 2023/24.

This was a slight increase on 2022/23, however, when 79.2 per cent were fully protected. The low uptake comes amid England’s biggest outbreak of measles in a decade, with Leicester having the fourth highest number of cases with 123 confirmed, data shows.

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As of Monday, September 9, there had been 2,465 lab-confirmed cases of measles across England this year. That compares to just 362 cases all last year. A child has sadly been confirmed to have died from the disease.

In the county, the rate of vaccination is higher - though still below target. Uptake in Leicestershire also dropped slightly from 91.9 per cent in 2022-23 to 91.7 per cent in 2023/24. Just 12 measles cases have been confirmed in the county.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says to achieve herd immunity - which stops illnesses transmitting across the population - at least 95 per cent of children should receive both MMR doses by their fifth birthday. NHS England data shows that no council area of England hit that target last year.

Cumbria came closest with a rate of 94.8 per cent, followed by East Riding of Yorkshire (94.5 per cent), and County Durham (94.2 per cent). The UKHSA is urging parents to check their children’s vaccinations are up to date amid fears of a back-to-school surge of diseases like measles and whooping cough due to falling vaccine rates. The NHS says vaccines prevent more than 5,000 deaths and 100,000 hospital admissions each year in England.

Susanne Howes, consultant in Health Protection for UKHSA East Midlands, said: “Measles is preventable with two doses of the MMR vaccine, but many thousands of children around the country, including Leicester, are still not vaccinated and may be at risk of serious illness or life-long complications.

“No parent wants this for their child. Don’t put it off, please act today so we can ensure that all children are given the best protection. With measles continuing to circulate across the country, including the East Midlands, ensuring timely vaccination has never been more important.

"The MMR jab offers the best protection against measles and, importantly, vaccination is also about not spreading the disease to others who may be more vulnerable.”

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Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said: “Too many children are still not fully vaccinated against diseases like measles and whooping cough, which can cause serious illness and are preventable.

“Vaccinations have been protecting children for decades and are offered free as part of the NHS routine immunisation programme, saving thousands of lives and preventing tens of thousands of hospital admissions every year.

“We would advise parents to urgently check their child’s vaccination records and ensure they’re protected from becoming seriously unwell.”

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