Measles vaccine push in north-west of England amid rise in cases

Health bosses are running extra clinics to get more children vaccinated

Efforts are being stepped up to get more children vaccinated against measles in the north-west of England amid rising cases in the region.

Uptake of the two MMR doses by the age of five is about 85% in the region, considerably lower than the World Health Organisation's 95% target.

Health bosses are running extra clinics across the North West to try get more children vaccinated.

A national campaign, showing children pleading for jabs, begins on Monday.

Cases of measles, which is a highly contagious disease and spread by coughs and sneezes, have been rising across the country.

In the last four weeks, there have been 183 confirmed measles cases in England with 19% of those in the North West, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

In some cities, including Liverpool and Manchester, only 75% of five-year-olds are fully vaccinated, NHS figures showed.

• Why are measles cases rising and what is the MMR vaccine?

• Measles campaign shows children pleading for jabs

• GP's plea to parents over measles vaccine uptake

Although for many people measles will clear up with within 10 days, complications can include blindness, seizures and meningitis.

In some rare cases it can also be fatal.

Clinical manager Emma Green says people can catch up with immunisations on the Living Well Bus

Alongside a national recall of all children aged 6 to 11 who are not fully vaccinated, initiatives in the North West include:

•    catch-up GP clinics including evening and weekend sessions

•    roving and outreach vaccine clinics in the community such as the Living Well Bus in Cheshire and Merseyside

•    extra vaccination sessions by immunisation providers in schools in some areas where uptake is lower

•    more than 40 community pharmacies offering the MMR vaccine for the first time to run catch-up sessions for children over the age of five

In addition, GPs are continuing to call parents of children aged between 12 months and five and urge them to have vaccinations as soon possible.

Emma Green, clinical manager for the Living Well Service which was in Birkenead earlier offering MMR vaccines, told BBC Radio Merseyside some people were coming for information and others were getting vaccinated.

She said: "People can come along to talk about any immunisations they may have missed and they can catch up with those immunisations on the day if they need to."

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Measles symptoms include:

•    high fever

•    sore, red, watery eyes

•    coughing

•    aching and feeling generally unwell

•    a blotchy red brown rash, which usually appears after the initial symptoms.