There has been an unprecedented rise in the cases of measles across the UK over the last year. The UK has recently been named as one of the worst countries in Europe for Measles, with high case levels, dashing any hope of eradicating the disease by 2010. There were over 1217 cases of measles confirmed between January and November 2008, the highest level for over 12 years. This is compared to under 100 confirmed cases only 4 years ago.

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The continued rise is due to relatively low MMR vaccine uptake over the past 10 years and there are now a large number of children who are not fully protected with MMR. Measles is highly infectious, and can spread easily among those unvaccinated children.

Although most children recover from measles, it can be a serious illness. One in 10 cases will require hospital treatment, and in severe cases it can lead to pneumonia, brain damage and even death.

The Health Protection Agency are concerned about the increase in measles and are trying to prevent an epidemic. They are urging parents to get their children vaccinated. Many parents are concerned about the potential side effects and the recent negative stories in the media with regards to the combined triple vaccines. Any parent with concerns should contact a healthcare professional who will be able to provide you with accurate advice as to the excellent safety profile of the MMR vaccine and discuss the importance of an effective vaccination campaign.