Oldham’s MMR jab record knocks spots off the rest

OLDHAM parents have been given a pat on the back for making sure their children are immunised as measles rates across Britain soar.

Health bosses say the number of measles cases nationally are more than five times higher than they were last year, and the key to stemming the rise is immunisation.

Oldham has not experienced the same surge in cases, and the borough’s director of public health, Alan Higgins, said it was down to parents making sure their children were immunised.

The borough has seen a “minimal” number of cases since January, he said, and he applauded parents for pushing Oldham way past the national and regional average for five-year-olds having the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab.

Oldham’s figure stands at 97.8 per cent, busting the national average of 85.1 per cent, and the North-West average of 86.4 per cent.

New cases are mainly among children, teenagers and adults who have not been vaccinated.

Urging those who have not had the MMR jab to get one now, Mr Higgins added: “Anyone who missed out on MMR as a child will continue to be at risk of measles.

“Measles is serious and in some cases it can be fatal and spreads very easily.”

News of the surge in measles cases across the nation comes amid concerns of a Europe-wide epidemic, and health bosses believe the disease is being spread by families holidaying on the Continent, particularly France.

Almost 500 UK cases were reported between January and May, including 29 from the North-West, mainly in children and university students, compared with 90 cases over the same period in 2010.

The rising rates come despite the MMR vaccine uptake hitting a 13-year high.

The Health Protection Agency says the uptake rates for two-year-olds reached 90 per cent in the first quarter of the year.

More than 11,000 cases of measles were reported in 35 European countries in the first four months of 2011.

Dr. Mary Ramsay, head of the immunisation department at the Health Protection Agency, said: “We cannot stress enough that measles is serious and it can be fatal.

“It is a highly infectious and potentially dangerous illness that spreads very easily. Whether you stay here or travel abroad, it is crucial that individuals who may be at risk are fully immunised.”