At least 80 children have been infected with measles in just one London borough
A single London borough has had 80 cases of a ‘fast-spreading’ measles outbreak in less than three months.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that notoriously causes a red rash behind the ears or hairline that quickly spreads downward.
At least 235 cases of measles have been confirmed in the UK since January, according to UK Health Security Agency data released today.
Of them, 107 occurred in the past four weeks.
The agency says 80 laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease were in Enfield, north London, and 15 in the neighbouring borough of Harringey.
What to know about measles
Measles spreads when infected people cough or sneeze, spewing viral droplets that float in the air for hours and wriggle on surfaces.
It’s six times more transmissible than Covid-19, making it difficult to contain.
The virus, also called rubeola, can be spread days before symptoms even begin.
Symptoms start around a week after someone gets in contact with the virus, such as a runny nose or a cough.
Within days, measles’s more infamous symptoms, like red or brown blotches and white spots in the mouth, called Koplik spots, emerge.
There’s no specific treatment for measles, other than remedies in hospital, like IV drips and painkillers, to make recovery easier. A vaccine remains the best way to prevent infection.
Precise numbers for other London regions are unclear, as figures are only published for boroughs that have seen 10 more cases.
More than one in three of the infections have been in children aged between one and four, who are particularly vulnerable to measles.
The disease, while mild to most, can lead to pneumonia, which is the leading cause of death from measles among children.
In rare cases, the infection can cause brain swelling, leaving youngsters with damaged hearing or intellectual disabilities.
Enfield Council has told parents and guardians that their children could be excluded from school if they are not vaccinated for measles.
Seven schools in Enfield and Harringey have seen measles outbreaks, with some children requiring hospital treatment, the BBC reported last month.
Most were not immunised against the virus.
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While measles outbreaks do happen, the speed of the infections has taken local healthcare workers aback.
Health experts say that 95% of people need to be vaccinated to curb the spread, with current vaccination rates well below that at 91.9%.
Protection is gained from the two-shot Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella (MMRV) vaccine, given to children when they are 12 months old.
Together, the doses are about 97% effective at preventing an infection.
Enfield has the lowest uptake in the UK, which has alarmed experts like Dr Jo Sauvage, the chief medical officer of the North Central London ICB, which organises healthcare for north London boroughs.
‘As the cases overall rise, it’s really distressing to see the numbers of children who are seriously ill also increase, with more children requiring hospital care,’ Dr Sauvage tells Metro.
Dr Yimmy Chow, UKHSA’s London region deputy director, says that children and adults who become infected with measles can suffer ‘needlessly’ in hospital.
Both Dr Sauvage and Dr Chow say there’s a simple thing people can do, however. Get vaccinated.
‘Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known, and it will find those who are unvaccinated. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide vital protection,’ Dr Chow says.
‘If your child has missed any vaccinations, or you are unsure whether they are up to date, please contact your GP surgery as soon as possible — it is never too late to catch up.’
The World Health Organisation declared the UK is no longer considered to have eliminated measles last month.
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