Measles death 'made me change my mind about jabs'

Aimee said recent news reports had made her reconsider her doubts about vaccines

A mother-of-three who previously had vaccine safety concerns said she had allowed her children to have the MMR jab following the recent death of a child with measles.

Aimee, from Liverpool, said she and some of her friends had been sceptical, especially since the development and rollout of Covid vaccines.

But when she learned about rising measles cases on Merseyside, including a death at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Aimee said she had reconsidered her stance.

"I thought it was about time I got it done," she told BBC News.

Julie Connell said it was important to have an "open conversation" with parents

Aimee said she had been reluctant to have her children - aged six, five and three - vaccinated due to a friend's negative experiences.

"With that being close and personal I chose that that was not what I wanted for my child," she explained.

Aimee also said she had spoken with other parents who were concerned about the speed of the Covid vaccine rollout.

"A lot of people are scared of vaccines now and do question whether it is what we need in our children's bodies," she said.

But after seeing recent news of children falling ill with measles and other diseases including meningitis, Aimee said she had changed her mind.

"That was the other side of the coin," she said. "I thought it was about time I got it done."

There has been a recent spike in measles cases at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool

Aimee attended one of several catch-up vaccination clinics that are being run across Merseyside this summer.

Julie Connell, an uptake improvement officer at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, said the clinics were about having an "open conversation" with parents to explain how the vaccination process works and what is involved.

"If the parent is unsure we are there to speak to them and explain," she said.

Aimee said there was "a lot of misinformation on social media" about vaccines.

"I definitely look more for the NHS side of things instead of choosing to believe what's on the community gossip pages," she said.

Aimee said she was "very relieved" that her children would be fully vaccinated ahead of winter.

"I'll be able to rest now if a cold comes about," she explained, saying many of her fears about more serious illnesses had been allayed.