Doctors’ anxiety After vaccination rates dropped during the epidemic, 740,000 kids are now at risk of contracting the fatal measles.
During Covid, uptake of the two measles, mumps, and rubella vaccinations reached its lowest level in a decade and has failed to catch up.
Pneumonia and brain inflammation may result from measles. With one in ten youngsters entering school unprotected, health officials worry that the number of infections could rise.
Parents of children between the ages of one and six who have not yet received both doses are being contacted and advised to attend their doctor.
The vaccine “is safe for your child, and will safeguard them, their friends, and the larger community,” according to Steve Russell of the NHS.
Measles, mumps, and rubella are extremely contagious diseases that spread quickly among the unvaccinated. These diseases’ complications have the ability to drastically alter one’s life.
The safe and effective MMR vaccine requires two doses for children; the first dosage should be administered around the time of the infant’s first birthday, and the second dose should be administered at about three years and four months old. To guarantee complete and long-lasting immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella, both doses are required.
More than 1.5 million invitations to get their flu shot in advance of winter have also been handed out by the NHS to parents of children aged two to three. When it’s feasible, children can get their flu shot and MMR catch-up shot at the same time.
“Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) are easily spread among unvaccinated people and can be very serious, so it is crucial that parents ensure their children are protected against MMR as they return to school and are current with their flu vaccination if eligible as we move into the winter months,” said Mr. Russell.
“Millions of doses of the MMR vaccine are administered annually; it is safe for your child and will shield them, their friends, and the larger community from these unpleasant but curable diseases.
Please schedule an appointment with your doctor if your child has not had all of the recommended vaccines or is not up to date on them.
Whooping cough, diphtheria, and measles are just a few of the deadly and contagious diseases that the NHS national immunization program has been very successful in decreasing.
High vaccination rates in the community can also stop the spread of these unpleasant but avoidable disorders.
By going to www.nhs.uk and typing in “NHS vaccinations and when to have them,” parents and caregivers can learn more about the many immunizations their child needs and when they should have them.