More than 60 children in north London have been infected with measles, prompting a public health alert and renewed focus on vaccination rates in the capital. Cases have been reported in seven schools and a nursery in the Enfield borough, with some children requiring hospital treatment, according to reports in the Sunday Times.
The outbreak comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) last month declared the UK no longer considered to have eliminated measles, following the re-establishment of transmission in 2024. Prior to this, the UK had been considered to have “eliminated” the disease from 2021 to 2023.
Dudu Sher-Arami, Director of Public Health for the London Borough of Enfield, has warned of a “serious threat to the wider capital” and the potential for a “much greater and bigger pan-London outbreak” due to the high level of mobility among London residents. Sher-Arami is writing to every parent in the Enfield area to address the situation.
Concerns center on low levels of uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. London is reported to have “one of the lowest, if not the lowest, vaccination uptake rates” in the country, according to Sher-Arami. UK Health Security Agency figures indicate that in 2024-25, 91.9% of five-year-olds had received one dose of the MMR vaccine – the lowest level since 2010-11. Coverage for both doses stood at 83.7%, the lowest since 2009-10.
The WHO recommends at least 95% of children receive both doses of the MMR vaccine to achieve herd immunity. Measles is highly contagious, with one infected person able to spread the disease to up to 18 unvaccinated individuals.
Sher-Arami highlighted the potential for serious complications from measles, including deafness, brain damage, and the need for hospital treatment for one in five children infected. More than a fifth of children in Enfield are not inoculated against measles, mumps, or rubella by the age of five.
Temporary vaccination clinics are being held in schools and throughout Enfield to increase coverage. A government campaign promoting childhood vaccination is scheduled to launch next week, utilizing adverts on social media, YouTube, and radio to address vaccine skepticism. Information for schools and families is also being circulated, including a recording of a recent measles webinar and frequently asked questions.
The NHS states that measles typically begins with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later, and can also cause slight spots inside the mouth. In 2024, 3,681 cases of measles were recorded across the UK.
