"I am really pleased to see today's figures from the Health
Protection Agency (HPA), which show that 90 per cent of two year old
children in the UK have received their first dose of the MMR vaccine -
the highest level for 13 years.
"However, an even higher uptake of 95 per cent would stop the
spread of disease in the community. It is also a problem that
significant numbers of school age children and young adults did not
get the vaccine at the height of concerns over its safety, which were
wholly unfounded, and have not been offered it subsequently. We would
strongly advise they go to their GP and get it because Measles can be
especially nasty in young adults, as the figure of 22 deaths across
Europe demonstrates."
Dr Helen Bedford
Senior Lecturer in Children's Health and Co Director MSc Paediatrics and Child Health
UCL Institute of Child Health
Contact information:
For further information please contact Hayley Dodman, Great Ormond Street Hospital press office on 0207 239 3126 or email dodmah@gosh.nhs.uk
For genuine and urgent out of hours call speak to switchboard on 020 7405 9200
