PARENTS in the west are being urged to check whether their children’s vaccinations are up to date before the new school year following a rise in measles cases.
The South West, including Dorset, has a 90 per cent uptake for the first measles, mumps and rubella jab, normally given to children around the age of one.
But only 85 per cent of youngsters have the booster injection before starting school, meaning that 8,000 children are at risk of not being fully immunised. The disease spreads particularly easily as the virus is contained in the millions of tiny droplets that come out of the nose and mouth when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Other people become infected by breathing in the droplets or touching a contaminated surface then putting their hands near their nose or mouth.
Professor Yvonne Doyle, director of public health at NHS South of England, said: “It’s easy to miss reminders for the booster injections but absolutely vital that children do receive them to ensure they are adequately protected.
“It’s possible that parents may think that there is a defined time period during which their children should be vaccinated and that if that is missed, it is too late.
“But when it comes to vaccinations it really is a case of better late than never.”
