FOLLOWING the news that 500 children have died from measles in Bangladesh is the news that there have been 763 cases in England so far this year. There were only 959 cases in the whole of 2025, so 2026 will show an increase.
The main outbreaks have been in London and the West Midlands. It’s bad enough that hundreds of children have contracted this virus and suffered symptoms such as headaches, fever and sensitivity to light. It’s bad enough that two children have died. The worst thing is that measles is almost entirely preventable.
Readily available vaccines will protect your children against this serious illness, or even death. They are offered to all children routinely, but some parents refuse them. They may be confused about vaccinations, influenced by vaccine deniers on the internet, or not worried about measles because it’s not an everyday occurrence any more.
Sadly, this false sense of security is exactly what could bring measles back to being an everyday occurrence once again. High levels of vaccination of children are what have kept the disease away. If the rate drops due to complacency, the disease will return. This is no empty threat: vaccination rates have dropped, and the disease is taking a hold again.
All parents should check whether their children are up to date with their vaccinations, called MMR or MMRV. If you can’t find your child’s vaccination book or you are not sure what it says, go to your GP and ask them to check your child’s NHS records. If your child has missed a vaccination, your GP practice will help them catch up – no matter how old they are.
Don’t leave it until it is too late.
●Read more about it: More stories about measles