Warning of measles epidemic risk as cases rise sharply
Britain is at risk of a serious measles epidemic breaking out in the near future, the Health Protection Agency warned yesterday, after a sharp increase in the number of children infected.The agency reported 1,049 confirmed cases in England and Wales during the first 10 months of this year, the highest total since a new system of monitoring the disease was introduced in 1995.The agency said the increase was due to a lower takeup of the combined measles, mumps and rubella jab over the past decade. Parents were scared by research, which has since been discredited, suggesting that children given the jab were more likely to develop autism.Dr Mary Ramsay, an immunisation expert at the agency, said: "There are now a large number of children who are not fully vaccinated with MMR. This means that measles is spreading easily among unvaccinated children. There is now a real risk of a large...
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