Doctor's urgent warning as cases of Victorian disease surge in England and Wales

13 January 2024 , 15:39

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Measles is highly contagious and among the Dickensian diseases making a comeback (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Doctors have warned that measles cases are soaring across the UK in response to hesitancy over the MMR vaccine.

Health protection consultant Dr Naveed Syed, based in the West Midlands, issued an alert after witnessing a spike in cases in the area. He stressed that the virus will spread quickly if patients haven't had at least one dose of the jab.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed there were 1,603 suspected cases of measles in England and Wales in 2023. The alarming figures show the cases have gone up from 360 in 2021 to 735 the following year.

The suspected cases are made on official alerts by medics that identify the diagnosis from clinical symptoms. It has been reported that not all infections are confirmed as measles later down the line.

Public Health Scotland also flagged that there have been "very few" cases north of the border. It has been reported that there were 57 suspected cases in the last four weeks of December. This equates to over a quarter of the 217 cases across England and Wales.

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Over in London, a huge outbreak made up a staggering 44 cases during the same period, reports Sky News. Dr Naveed Syed commented: "We are seeing cases of measles rising every day in the West Midlands. The virus is very infectious and can spread rapidly among communities, such as schools, if people have not had at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.

"People may not realise how severe measles can be. While most people will recover within a couple of weeks, the virus can cause serious illness. Sometimes this can leave permanent disability and it can even cause death."

England and Wales used to experience between 160,000 and 800,000 per year. However, this significantly decreased after the vaccine was welcomed in 1968. It has been predicted that around 20 million cases and 4,500 fatalities have been prevented due to the measure.

Kids have been allowed two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine since 1996. But health professionals say the uptake should be at 95% in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

In 2022/23, 92.5 per cent of five-year-old children received their first dose of the MMR jab – the lowest level since 2010/11. And only 84.5% of five-year-olds received two doses – also the lowest proportion since 2010/11. Figures show that nine out of 10 kids who remain unvacinated can become infected with measles if another pupil in their class has it.

Symptoms of measles:

Cold-like symptoms which include:

• a high temperature
• a runny or blocked nose
• sneezing
• a cough
• red, sore, watery eyes

Spots in the mouth

The measles rash

Monica Charsley