Between 1 January and 20 April this year, there have been 49 cases of measles compared to 54 cases in the whole of 2022. Most of the cases have been in London.

Measles is a highly infectious disease that can lead to serious problems such as pneumonia, meningitis, and on rare occasions, long-term disability or death. Symptoms include a high fever, sore red watery eyes and a blotchy red-brown rash.

Vaccines are our best line of defence against diseases like measles, mumps and rubella and help stop outbreaks occurring in the community. However, in recent years the number of children vaccinated against these diseases has fallen.

Parents and guardians are asked to make sure their children are up to date with their 2 MMR doses.

It’s never too late to catch up, and people can get the MMR vaccine for free on the NHS whatever their age.

Contact your GP today and they will be able to give you advice and book you an appointment. You can find more information on the NHS website.