Parents and guardians are being reminded to make sure they have vaccinated their children against measles as increased numbers of cases have been confirmed across North London.
In the last few months several people, predominantly children, have been diagnosed with this highly-infectious bug in North East and North Central London.
Enfield Council’s Public Health team is contacting parents and guardians through their children’s schools to highlight the importance of vaccination. The best way to protect against measles is with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. By the time children start primary school, they should have received two doses of this vaccine. Measles, mumps and rubella can have serious and potentially fatal complications which is why vaccination is so important.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health, Cllr Yasemin Brett, said: “Measles is highly infectious and a child can catch the virus easily if they are not fully immunised. Children who are unimmunised are at increased risk of serious complications including deafness, pneumonia and brain swelling. So, if your child has not received two doses of the MMR vaccine, please contact your GP surgery as soon as possible.”
Symptoms of measles include: high fever; sore, red, watery eyes; coughing; aching and feeling generally unwell; and a blotchy red-brown rash which usually appears after the first symptoms. If you think your child may have measles, please call your GP immediately.
Further information about measles and the MMR vaccination can be found on the NHS Choices website.