Home   News   Article

Subscribe Now

West Berkshire parents/carers urged to ensure children have measles jab





West Berkshire Council advises NHS England is urging parents and carers to ensure children have received the MMR vaccination, available at GP surgeries.
Lesley Wyman, the council’s Head of Public Health and Wellbeing, said measles was a highly infectious viral illness and continued:
“It can be very unpleasant and can lead to serious complications. However it’s preventable and it’s never too late to get vaccinated.”
Parents of unvaccinated children, teenagers or young people, she continued, should seek at least one dose of MMR vaccination for 95 per cent protection against measles. A second dose was then needed to provide almost complete protection.
In the past two years there has been a rise in the number of children catching measles. Earlier this year, there were 1247 confirmed measles cases nationally and 27 cases in the South East.
Across England, the higher rates of measles were seen in the 10 to 16 year old age group.
Symptoms of measles may include a fever, cough, red eyes and a blocked nose. A blotchy rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body over several days. People are usually infectious from the day before their first symptom shows to four or five days after the first appearance of the rash.
Any parent who suspects their child has measles should not send them to school or nursery and should contact their GP.
For more information on measles, visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/pages/introduction.aspx.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More