TikTok campaign needed for MMR jab, says Jess Phillips MP

MP Jess Phillips said there should be a TikTok campaign to encourage uptake of the MMR vaccine

Birmingham MP Jess Phillips has said a TikTok campaign is needed to promote the uptake of the MMR vaccine.

The number of people with measles in the West Midlands is at its highest since at least the mid-1990s, health officials said.

However, parts of Birmingham and the Black Country have among the lowest vaccination rates in the UK.

Ms Phillips said false vaccine messages were spreading quicker than advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The West Midlands has had 216 confirmed measles cases and a probable 103 further cases since 1 October, UKHSA figures from Friday show.

Most of these cases were in Birmingham.

Ms Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, told BBC Politics Midlands: "[It's] really really concerning, especially when you consider the evidence about [measles] being in more vulnerable communities, communities that already suffer poorer health outcomes.

"We really have got to understand why this has happened so we can do everything we possibly can to get the messaging right [and] make sure there are the healthcare professionals in the community to go out so that the questions can be answered."

The Labour MP said that people under the age of 40 in her constituency, particularly those with children, were largely talking to each other on TikTok and that a TikTok campaign was "needed" to promote the MMR vaccine.

She also said spreading fake news such as vaccine misinformation should be a criminal offence, but that the police did not have enough resources to actually do this.

"I think it's criminal when people spread that fake news because it's hurting people, it's harming people," she said.

"Frankly those people should be held to task and account for essentially causing illness in these areas."

Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said vaccination rates were "well below" what is recommended by the World Health Organization.

Responding to Dame Jenny urging the public to see healthcare professionals to ask questions about the MMR vaccine, Ms Phillips said: "I'm afraid to say that that's quite hard to do for most people these days.

"I think a huge effort needs to be put in to make sure this is abated at 216 cases."

The Birmingham MP said both her children were vaccinated, adding: "It's not just a good parenting decision, it's a good community decision because there are some people who cannot take the vaccine because they are ill, so I personally think it is a good parenting decision."

Rugby MP Mark Pawsey, also speaking on BBC Politics Midlands, said he was "not sure" enough was being done about the measles outbreak.

Addressing MMR vaccine uptake, he said: "I think part of the issue is because it hasn't been around for so long, I think my generation of people do understand the concerns because our parents knew exactly how severe this was.

"It hasn't been around for a long time and I think that's made people very causal about taking the MMR vaccine."