Parents in the East of England have been alerted to the risk of measles, following the publication of new figures which show that two children have died of the disease in England so far this year.
With many families set to travel far and wide for the summer holidays in the UK and beyond, doctors have reminded parents that they can protect their children with the safe and effective MMRV vaccination.
Catch-up vaccination sessions are available across the region, with a mix of bookable and drop-in sessions on offer for families who want to get their vaccinations up to date.
Vaccination rates in some parts of the region have remained low in recent years, but it’s never too late to make sure your children have the protection they need against a range of potentially serious illnesses. It is now recommended that children receive the MMRV vaccine in two doses – one at around 12 months and the second at around 18 months – but a vaccination delivered later than this offers the same protection.
Dr Fiona Head, Executive Clinical Director at NHS Central East Integrated Care Board, said:
Measles is a highly infectious disease which, as we have sadly seen already this year, can cause death or serious, lifelong complications. The MMRV vaccine is safe and effective, and it protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) which are all dangerous, highly infectious illnesses.
There are lots of reasons why your child may not be up to date on their MMRV or other immunisations. We know that some families couldn’t attend routine appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have not yet caught up. We also know that parents sometimes change their minds, particularly after tragic cases, so even if you previously chose not to have your child vaccinated, the opportunity is still there.
With so many families preparing to travel this summer, now is the time to catch up on any missing vaccinations, to give them a chance to work before your children mix with others from across the UK and beyond. As well as preventing a serious illness which would spoil your summer, you can make sure your child doesn’t fall behind in the new school year from an avoidable sickness absence.
The NHS offers a series of routine immunisation programmes for children under the age of five, but there is a recommended schedule up to the teenage years. You can check all of your child’s vaccinations in their personal child health record (red book).
If you’re pregnant and have never been vaccinated, you can also receive a vaccination which will protect you and your baby.
You can find out more about the complications of measles and get answers to many questions you may have about both the infection and the vaccination on the NHS website.