As an NHS hospital doctor who has worked in some of the biggest and best London Hospitals throughout my medical career, I am only too familiar with the signs and symptoms of Measles.
Measles is an illness with unpleasant and sometimes life-threatening complications; a virus that Britain had hoped to eradicate through a vaccination programme delivering herd immunity, but unfortunately, parents failing to vaccinate their children has resulted in a loss of herd immunity and a recent surge in Measles cases.
Until recently, herd immunity had meant that cases of Measles had been isolated to small outbreaks in London and the big cities.
However, the loss of herd immunity means that we are now seeing a surge of cases throughout the United Kingdom.
Herd immunity is where the spread of an infectious disease within a population is prevented by the pre-existing immunity of a high proportion of people within that population.
In Britain, herd immunity against Measles had, in the past, been conveyed by an effective vaccination program – which in recent years meant a two-dose course of the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) triple vaccine administered before a child’s fifth birthday.
The MMR vaccine is routinely offered by health visitors and GPs.
Herd immunity against Measles is achieved when 95 per cent or more of the population have gained immunity. But in parts of London and Birmingham, less than 70 per cent of the population have completed the MMR vaccination course by their fifth birthday.
In Suffolk, the picture is better, with 89.1 per cent of children being fully vaccinated by their fifth birthday but this is insufficient to convey herd immunity, and means that over 1 in 10 children in our county are not fully protected against the Measles Virus.
Measles is not an illness to be dismissed lightly. It is highly contagious with an R rate (or reproduction rate) of between 15 and 16.
When compared to the R rate of the first strain of COVID-19 of between 2 and 3, it is clear that Measles spreads easily and quickly in the unvaccinated.
The school classroom is particularly fertile territory for the Measles virus to spread.
The reason why vaccination against Measles is so important is because it can result in serious and life-threatening complications including pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures. In pregnancy, Measles can cause miscarriage, still birth and premature labour.
So why are parents choosing not to have their children vaccinated?
There are three main reasons.
The primary reason is misinformation about the MMR vaccine. The anti-vax movement has a lot to answer for here. Misinformation about the potential links between the MMR vaccine and childhood autism still persist, despite the research behind this false association being comprehensively discredited, and the researcher behind it, Andrew Wakefield being struck off the UK Medical Register after the GMC found that he had falsified parts of his research and acted dishonestly.
Whilst the majority of complimentary medical practitioners and homeopaths value the importance of traditional medical science and endorse the lifesaving benefits of vaccinations against diseases, Andrew Wakefield’s false research is still peddled by some ‘alternative medical practitioners’ as a reason not to be vaccinated.
This is dangerous and dishonest.
To be clear, the MMR vaccine is safe. It saves lives and it is important that children receive their MMR vaccinations.
There is also evidence of low vaccine take up amongst ethnic minority communities.
Where people do not have English as a first language, MMR vaccine take up is poor, and some communities have poor engagement with the medical system.
This is less of an issue here in Suffolk, but as the public health authority, Suffolk county council will want to look at how they can better engage with our ethnic minority communities to improve vaccine take up.
Finally, the ever changing mutations of the COVID virus and the resultant failure of COVID vaccines to be fully protective against the virus may have reduced the public faith or belief in the value of vaccinations in general.
We should remember that COVID is a very different virus to Measles.
In the same way as the flu virus, COVID quickly mutates.
Mutation can reduce the efficacy of vaccines which then need to be adapted themselves, and readministered in order to combat the new strains of COVID.
However, Measles is genetically a very stable virus and therefore the MMR vaccine is effective and provides long term immunity against Measles.
The task now is to restore herd immunity against Measles.
Children who catch Measles can develop life threatening and life changing complications.
If you or your child has not completed the MMR vaccination course, then please book an appointment with your GP. It may just save your child’s life.
Dr Dan Poulter is the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich and a practising NHS Doctor.
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