Isolation warning for London children without measles jab

The MMR vaccine gives lifetime protection against measles, mumps and rubella

Children whose measles vaccinations are not up to date may have to isolate for 21 days if they are exposed to the disease, parents have been warned.

Councils in London have written to households to say the capital could be facing a major outbreak unless MMR inoculation rates improve.

Research by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) suggests there could be tens of thousands of cases.

Measles is highly contagious and severe cases can lead to disability and death.

Warning measles could hit tens of thousands in London

Any child identified as a close contact of a measles case without satisfactory vaccination status may be asked to self-isolate for up to 21 days.

What is measles?

• Measles is a highly contagious disease that can lead to complications such as ear infections, pneumonia and inflammation of the brain, which require hospitalisation and on rare occasions can lead to long-term disability or death

• Just 15 minutes in direct contact with someone who is infected with measles is enough to catch the infection

• People whose immunity is compromised, pregnant women and unvaccinated children are at increased risk of severe disease

Parents have been urged to check children's health records to ensure that their vaccines are up to date.

Children in the UK should have a first dose of the MMR vaccine by their first birthday and the second dose by the time they are three-and-a-half.

This protects them for life against measles and prevents the spread of the virus to other people.

Measles symptoms include:

• High fever

• Sore, watery red eyes

• Coughing

• Aching and feeling generally unwell

• A blotchy red-brown rash, which usually appears after the initial symptoms

The UKHSA also says that a large outbreak could put pressure on the NHS, with between 20% and 40% of infected people needing hospital care.

"Due to longstanding sub-optimal vaccine uptake there is now a very real risk of seeing big outbreaks in London," said Dr Vanessa Saliba, a consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA.

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