image source, Getty Images
Health authorities warn vaccination rates in Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool are too low
Health authorities are reminding parents to reschedule their missed mumps, measles and rubella vaccine (MMR) appointments.
The data shows that in England, the north east and north Cumbria have received the most vaccinations, but the number of second doses administered is below what is needed to avoid an outbreak.
Parts of Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool are at risk because infection numbers are “not high enough”.
A health director said measles is a highly contagious disease but “completely preventable”.
Risks include blindness, hearing loss, and brain swelling.
Children require two doses of the MMR vaccine. The first vaccination is given around the child’s 1st birthday, and the second vaccination is given at the age of 3 years and 4 months.
The NHS says both doses are needed to ensure complete and lasting protection against MMR.
NHS England Northern Care System Support (NECS) data shows that 96% of 33,937 five-year-olds in the North East and North Cumbria received their first MMR vaccination in 2022-23. Only 91% received their second dose.
Dr Neil O’Brien, medical director of the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: ‘Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world, as spending more than 15 minutes in direct contact with an infected person is enough to spread the disease. It is one of the most common diseases in the world.” world. “
Dr O’Brien said: ‘While the overall MMR rate in our region is good, there are localized locations such as the Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool areas where it is not high enough to prevent the rapid spread of measles. There are still some,” he added.
Cumbria’s director of public health, Colin Cox, said: “Measles can be a very serious disease, but vaccination is safe, free and the best protection possible.” Ta.