'She was no longer able to move': Why the MMR vaccine is so important
ITV News Reporter Martha Fairlie explains why an estimated tenth of school entry-age children in England are at risk of measles after not being vaccinated
Jo Walton’s daughter caught measles as a baby, before she was old enough to be vaccinated.
But it wasn’t until Sarah reached her 20s, when she was planning a career as a midwife, that the virus started to attack her with devastating consequences.
“She was no longer able to move, or swallow or to speak,” said Ms Walton, who has now been caring for her daughter ever since.
“Her last words to me in hospital were ‘I want to go home’, that was the last thing she said to me. Here she is, 17 years later.”
Measles is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
The infection also damages and suppresses the whole immune system, meaning children can be left much more susceptible to catching other illnesses.
In rare cases, measles can lead to a condition called SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis) - which is what Sarah developed - which can cause progressive destruction of the central nervous system, loss of motor control, epilepsy and death.
The virus has always been a concern for health officials, but now they fear it could make a resurgence in England because of the lowest uptake of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine in a decade.
More than one in 10 five-year-olds have not had the two doses necessary to give them enough protection from a virus that can spread very quickly and have serious side effects.
The most recent figures available show just 88% of children had their first MMR dose by the age of two.
This drops to 85.5% having both doses at the age of five. This is well below the World Health Organization target of 95%.
Launching a new campaign, the UKHSA and the NHS are now calling on parents and guardians to get their children vaccinated against these preventable diseases.
Since the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1968, it is estimated that 20 million measles cases and 4,500 deaths have been prevented in the UK.
ITV News Reporter Martha Fairlie explains why an estimated tenth of school entry-age children in England are at risk of measles after not being vaccinated
Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said: “The MMR vaccine offers the best protection from measles, mumps and rubella which is why we’re calling on parents and carers to make sure their children are up to date with their two doses.
“Even a small drop in vaccine coverage can have a big impact on population immunity levels and lead to outbreaks.
“I would urge parents to check if their children are up to date with their MMR vaccines and if not to get them booked in as soon as they are able. It’s never too late to catch-up.”
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