1 in 10 children aged five in East Anglia at risk from measles
NHS bosses are warning of a serious decline in the uptake of the M-M-R vaccine which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
Last updated 2nd Feb 2022
About 1 in 10 children aged five in the East of England could suffer health issues because they've not been fully vaccinated against measles.
It's as new research from the UK Health Security Agency reveals that uptake of the M-M-R vaccine is seeing a national decline.
Data also shows half of parents in our region are unaware of the risks of catching measles, such as pneumonia, inflammation of the brain or even death.
Nicola Ainsworth is a Public Health Registrar from the UK Health Security Agency.:
"We know from research that some parents are worried about side-effects. I'm a mum of two girls aged six and eight and I've had to make these choices of whether to vaccinate them" she said.
"But for me, the risk of having them unvaccinated is far greater than any harm from side-effects that are generally mild and don't last very long."
The MMR vaccine has come under renewed focus amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
When it was first rolled out in the late 1990s, a 1998 report by former doctor Andrew Wakefield linked it with autism.
Wakefield was later struck of the medical register and his claims about the jab were discredited.
However a suspicion of vaccine remains prevalent among certain groups in society.
In a bid to boost MMR vaccination rates, the NHS is urging parents to check their child's fully vaccinated and to contact their GP if they're not.