Measles cases have reached a 13-year high prompting fears of a new epidemic.

Measles cases reach a 13-year-high prompting epidemic fears
article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"In 2008 there were 1,348 cases of measles in England and Wales, an increase of more than a third on the 990 the previous year.

The number of cases, which are predominantly in children under 18, is the highest since the current method of data collecting was introduced in 1995 and the figures were described as "very worrying" by experts.

This is the result of low uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for the last decade.

Despite research linking the MMR jab to bowel disorders and autism having been debunked and uptake of the vaccine increasing for toddlers, groups of older children who were not immunised remain.

These children are now at school age where it is easier to spread infections and measles is circulating freely.

Catch-up campaigns have been launched to offer the vaccine to children up to the age of 18 but this has yet to have an effect on measles cases.

Dr Mary Ramsay, an immunisation expert at the Health Protection Agency, said: "The year on year increase of measles across England and Wales is very worrying. Last year saw the highest number of cases since the current method of monitoring the disease was introduced in 1995.

"What is so alarming is that the majority of these cases could have been prevented as most were in children who were not fully protected with MMR.

"There are still many children out there who were not vaccinated as toddlers over the past decade and remain unprotected. Unfortunately this means that measles, which is highly infectious, is spreading easily among these unvaccinated children."