Cases of suspected measles in Leicester on the rise
Leicester is in the top 3 places in England for suspected cases
The measles emergency is a growing threat with Leicester in the top three areas for suspected infections in England.
While the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not released information showing the specific locations where outbreaks have been confirmed, it is possible to map notifications of measles.
These are alerts that GPs are required to send to the UKHSA every time they diagnose a case of what they believe to be measles.
Since January, there have been over 5,000 notifications of possible measles cases in England. While these cases have not been confirmed in a laboratory, they show suspected infections in council areas and can provide an early warning of possible outbreaks.
Dr Vanessa MacGregor, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for UKHSA East Midlands, said numbers of measles cases are rising across the country, including Leicester. She said they were aware some communities have very low measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates. The MMR jab offers the best protection against measles, she added.
GPs in Leicester are shown to be in the top three areas to have seen suspected cases with 119 this year, below Birmingham with 352 and Manchester with 123. Wandsworth with 95 suspected cases, and Coventry with 91 are the fourth and fifth highest suspected cases.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that more than 1,000 cases of measles have been confirmed by lab-tests in England so far this year. That is more than triple the 362 cases seen all last year and the biggest outbreak in more than a decade.
Dr MacGregor said: “Numbers of measles cases are rising across the country, including Leicester. We know some communities have very low MMR vaccination rates. Measles is extremely infectious, and it only takes one case to get into these communities for this disease to spread rapidly, especially in schools and nurseries.
“The MMR jab offers the best protection against measles. Measles is preventable but many thousands of children around the country are still not fully vaccinated and may be at risk of serious illness or life-long complications. No parent wants this for their child.
A number of pop-up vaccination clinics are being held across Leicestershire in the coming weeks offering the MMR vaccine.
Further information including dates, times and locations can be found online at NHS Vaccinations – LLR ICB.