You will no doubt have seen the news regarding the rise in cases of measles in London and the large outbreaks in the West Midlands.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has now declared a national incident to focus actions to limit the spread. Further outbreaks of measles will spread to other towns and cities unless urgent action is taken to increase Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination uptake in areas at greatest risk. Children who get measles can be very ill and some will suffer life-changing complications.
To support this incident the Department of Education (DfE) has published: What to do if you think your child has measles and when to keep them off school guidance for parents.
UKHSA have stated that measles is not currently circulating in the south-east, there are cases in London and a sustained outbreak in the West Midlands (specifically Coventry and Birmingham but now in all local authority areas in the region) but at the moment in the SE, rashes are more than likely to be for other reasons (particularly in children). However, being prepared is important.
