Rachel is calling on anyone who isn’t vaccinated to urgently come forward to get their measles (MMR) vaccine amid rising cases in the West Midlands.
Although 90% of children attending primary schools in Redditch have received 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, which is higher than most other areas in the country, it still leaves a significant number of children who are unvaccinated.
This means there are around 1,000 children in Redditch who have not had two MMR vaccinations and who are at risk of measles.
It comes as public health officials warn of a rise in the number of cases in the West Midlands, particularly in preschool and primary school aged children.
Between the 1 October and 12 January, there were 167 confirmed cases (including 4 travel-related) and a further 88 likely cases. Around 80% of cases have been seen in Birmingham, with about 10% in Coventry, however other local authority areas are now being affected by measles.
Measles spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in nurseries and schools, and is a nasty illness and in some children can be very serious and lead to hospitalisation – and in rare cases tragically can cause death. People in certain at-risk groups including babies and young children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immunity, are at increased risk of complications if they catch measles.
Rachel said:
“The rise in the number of measles cases in our region is concerning. That’s why I’m joining our public health experts in calling on my constituents who have not had two MMR vaccines to contact their GP to get a catch-up vaccination.”
