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National MMR vaccine catch-up campaign launched

  • Last modified date:
    7 August 2008
Nurse preparing boy for injection

The Department of Health is making extra vaccine and more funds available to help local health trusts start a campaign to vaccinate every child up to the age of 18 against measles.

In a letter sent to all Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) today, the Chief Medical Officer asks them to help reduce the risk of a measles epidemic by offering the MMR vaccine to every child who has not been vaccinated. He also asks PCTs to urge parents to get their children immunised.

The number of cases of measles in England is rising following a decade of relatively low vaccine uptake. In 2006 and 2007 there were 1,726 confirmed cases in England and Wales - more than the previous 10 years put together. From 1996 to 2005 there was a total of 1,621 confirmed cases.

It is estimated that around three million children aged 18 months to 18 years have missed either their first or second MMR vaccination. Scientific advice from both the Department of Health and the Health Protection Agency suggests that levels of MMR immunisation need to be increased as a matter of urgency.

The previous success of the MMR vaccination programme reduced the number of measles cases to very low levels for a number of years. Between 1992 and 2006 there were no deaths from acute measles in England. However there was one death in 2006 and another in 2008.

The Department of Health will be supporting PCTs to help parents to catch up by providing additional supplies of the MMR vaccine, information materials and also funding. An average PCT will receive additional funding of £30,000.

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