An ongoing measles outbreak is continuing to cause concern health chiefs have said. New figures were released on Tuesday showing 127 cases have been recorded already this month, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
This takes to total since October 1 last year to 347. Three quarters of these are in the West Midlands where there have been 260 confirmed cases. Elsewhere, other hotspots have been London where there have been 46 cases and Yorkshire and The Humber where there have been 24.
The UKHSA said most of these are in children under the age of 10 with 233 out of the 347 cases. A further 85 young people and adults over the age of 15 have been affected.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said: “The ongoing measles outbreak in the West Midlands remains a concern. MMR vaccine coverage has been falling for the last decade with 1 out of 10 children starting school in England not protected and so there is a real risk that this outbreak could spread to other towns and cities.
“Measles is a nasty illness for most children and for some can be serious, but it is completely preventable. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your children. If you or your child are not up to date with your two doses of MMR vaccine please contact your GP to catch-up now.”
There were 1,603 suspected cases of measles in England and Wales in 2023, UKHSA statistics showed earlier this year. The figure is up from 735 in 2022, and just 360 the year before. The World Health Organisation has previously raised concerns over an “alarming rise” in the spread of measles across Europe.
Symptoms of measles
According to the NHS measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth.
Cold-like symptoms
The first symptoms of measles include:
- a high temperature
- a runny or blocked nose
- sneezing
- a cough
- red, sore, watery eyes
Spots in the mouth
Small white spots may appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips a few days later. These spots usually last a few days.
The measles rash
A rash usually appears a few days after the cold-like symptoms. The rash starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
The spots of the measles rash are sometimes raised and join together to form blotchy patches. They’re not usually itchy.
The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin.
If you’re not sure it’s measles
It’s very unlikely to be measles if you’ve had both doses of the MMR vaccine or you’ve had measles before.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Yorkshire
