More than 800 children left vulnerable to measles in the Bristol area after not receiving jab

More than 800 babies in the Bristol area have been left vulnerable to catching measles because they haven't received the MMR vaccine, according to the latest figures.

Almost eight per cent of children didn't receive the jab in 2018/19 in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

Normally parents are offered the chance to have their children vaccinated within a month of their first birthday. They then have a second injection before starting school.

Doctors are worried about the number of children who haven't been vaccinated Credit: PA

Measles, mumps and rubella are highly infectious and life-threatening conditions that can lead to meningitis, swelling of the brain and deafness.

They can also lead to complications in pregnancy that affect the unborn baby and lead to miscarriage.

The vaccine is given as a single injection to babies as part of their routine vaccination schedule usually within a month of their first birthday. They’ll then have a second injection of the vaccine before starting school, usually at three year and four months.

The MMR can also be given to adults who may not have received it as a child.

Since the MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988, it’s rare for children in the UK to develop these serious conditions. But outbreaks happen and there have been cases of measles in recent years, so it’s important to make that children are up-to-date with the MMR vaccination.