DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release issued by The Government News Network on 7 August 2008
The Department of
Health is making extra vaccine and more funds available to help
local health trusts put in place a campaign to vaccinate every
child up to the age of 18 against measles.
In a letter sent to all Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) today, the
Chief Medical Officer asks them to help reduce the risk of a
measles epidemic by offering the MMR vaccine to every child up to
the age of 18 who has not been vaccinated. He also asks PCTS to
urge parents to get their children immunised.
The number of cases of measles in England is rising following a
decade of relatively low vaccine uptake. In 2006 and 2007 there
were 1,726 confirmed cases in England and Wales - more than the
previous ten years put together. From 1996 to 2005 there was a
total of 1,621 confirmed cases.
It is estimated that around three million children aged 18 months
to 18 years have missed either their first or second MMR
vaccination. Scientific advice from both the Department of Health
and the Health Protection Agency suggests that levels of MMR
immunisation need to be increased as a matter of urgency.
The previous success of the MMR vaccination programme reduced the
number of measles cases to very low levels for a number of years.
Between 1992 and 2006 there were no deaths from acute measles in
England. However there was one death in 2006 and another in 2008.
The Department of Health will be supporting PCTs to help parents
to catch up by providing additional supplies of the MMR vaccine;
information materials and also funding. An average PCT will
receive additional funding of £30,000.
Professor David Salisbury, Director of Immunisation at the
Department of Health, said:
"Parents who have not had their children vaccinated with the
MMR vaccine should do so now. The evidence on MMR is absolutely
clear - there is no link between the vaccine and autism.
"The MMR vaccine coverage is not high enough to remove the
threat of recurrence of measles outbreaks. Measles is serious and
in some cases it can be fatal. Delaying immunisation puts children
at risk."
Notes to editors:
1. In 2006 and 2007 there were 1,726 confirmed cases in England
and Wales which was more than the previous ten years from 1996 to
2005 where there were a total of 1,621 confirmed cases of measles.
2. Estimates suggest that a measles epidemic in Britain could
result in 30,000 cases, or in a worst case scenario more than
100,000 cases of measles in children and young people. These
children and young people will also be susceptible to mumps and rubella.
3. PCTs receive funding for immunisation as part of their annual
settlement. The Department of Health will provide an additional
sum to assist PCTs with initiating the programme. London PCTs will
receive £60,000 and PCTs outside London will receive £30,000. This
reflects the higher ratio of children requiring MMR vaccination in London.
4. In addition to the supplies of MMR vaccine used for the
routine childhood immunisation programme, extra supplies of MMR
will be available for the catch up campaign. Any additional
vaccine purchased will eventually be used as part of the routine
vaccination programme.
5.
Figure 1. Confirmed cases of measles by month of onset,
England and Wales: From 2007 to 31st May 2008
6. A copy if the CMO letter can be found here:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/AboutUs/Ministersanddepartmentleaders/ChiefMedicalOfficer/CMOPublications/CMOLetters/fs/en
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