The number of children getting an MMR jab in Kent must increase to prevent a measles outbreak, the county’s director of public health has warned.
The percentage of youngsters in both Kent and Medway coming forward for immunisation has slumped over the last few years – falling well below the targets needed to eradicate the highly contagious infection.
With just days to go until the end of the school term, there are stark warnings too for families intending to travel with offspring who haven’t been immunised.
It comes as health officials have sounded the alarm this week over England’s waning vaccine coverage after a child being treated for measles died in Liverpool.
The World Health Organisation has warned cases are climbing to their highest level for more than a quarter of a century – more than doubling between 2023 and 2024 – as vaccination rates have failed to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
In Kent, coverage rates for children getting their first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella jab by age two stands at 89.7% for the year 23/24.
In Medway the figure is 87.5%.
The year before, the number of two-year-olds getting a first dose was 89.6% in Kent and 88% in Medway.
For those coming forward for the second booster dose by age five, coverage drops to just 84% of Kent children – down from 85.2% the year before.
In Medway, the number of children getting two MMR doses by age five has fallen from 82.5% in 22/23 to 80.% last year.
All are well below the 95% World Health Organisation target needed to achieve and sustain measles elimination through herd immunity.
In the first six months of this year, there were 19 lab-confirmed measles cases in the south east.
In neighbouring London, there were 233.
The majority of cases are in children aged 10 and under.
Kent County Council’s director of public health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, said: “Thanks to all Kent parents and carers who have made sure their children are protected against measles and our MMR vaccination rates stay above the national average.
“However, these rates still need to increase if we are to prevent a measles outbreak.
“Measles is highly infectious. One in five children who catch the disease need hospital care and, on rare occasions, it can claim lives – yet two doses of MMR gives life-long protection.”
The last significant measles outbreak in Kent is believed to have been in May 2019, when five cases were found in Canterbury.
Just a month earlier health officials had warned ‘fake news’ on social media about vaccines was putting more than 1,300 children at risk of serious harm because they hadn’t been fully immunised.
Measles is a highly infectious airborne disease spread through coughs and sneezes.
Signs include a high fever of 39°C or more, sore, red, watery eyes, coughing, aching and a blotchy red brown rash which usually appears two to four days after initial symptoms.
For people with immune problems, pregnant women, and babies younger than a year old, it can lead to serious – sometimes fatal – complications.
Vaccine hesitancy, declining access to GP services and struggling public health budgets have all been suggested among the reasons why UK immunisation rates have fallen below those of fellow G7 nations like France, Italy, and Germany, which have all maintained MMR coverage at or above 95%.
Others fear vaccines have become a ‘victim of their own success’ where younger generations – who haven’t lived through devastating outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles or polio – fail to appreciate the role continued immunisation is playing.
On Monday, health secretary Wes Streeting said the government would ‘redouble’ vaccine efforts across the country for the remainder of this year.
In Kent, preliminary data for the start of this year suggests possible ‘green shoots’ in the number of parents bringing children forward for first vaccines this year.
However, Dr Ghosh says families with children missing an MMR jab – particularly those planning to travel in the school holidays – should arrange a catch-up appointment as soon as possible.
The website www.getvaccinatednow.co.uk can guide families in Kent and Medway through the process and any questions they might have.
He added: “MMR is safe, effective, free on the NHS and it’s never too late to catch your child up through your GP practice, your child’s school vaccination programme or one of Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust’s community clinics – especially if you’re planning to travel this summer holidays.”
Cases have been rising in some European countries, with the vast majority in Romania, which has reported 3,767 infections. Three people have died.
There have also been outbreaks this year in France, Italy, Spain and Germany.
The nation with the highest number of cases in the world is Yemen, with 15,683, followed by Pakistan with 12,732 and India with 10,299.
