FAMILIES in the Huddersfield area are being urged to ensure they are fully protected against measles as cases of the illness surge.

Between January and March this year, 135 laboratory confirmed cases of measles have been reported to the Health Protection Agency.

This is compared to just 13 cases reported for the same period the previous year.

A total of 22 cases have been reported in Yorkshire, with the majority linked to a recent outbreak in the Leeds student population.

Now families across the region are being urged by immunisation experts to make sure they are up to date with their jabs.

The HPA Yorkshire says all children and young adults need to have received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

It is particularly important that parents act now due to the recent upsurge in cases nationally.

This is most probably related to recent travel abroad, with outbreaks of measles reported from 24 countries across Europe so far this year.

Dr Stephen Morton, regional director at HPA Yorkshire, said: “Over the Easter period all families should check their children and young adults are fully up to date with MMR immunisation.

“It’s never too late to get immunised with this safe and effective vaccine and we must not forget that the vaccine also protects against mumps and rubella, which also have the potential to be very serious illnesses.”

Cases of measles are also associated with small clusters in mainly unvaccinated children and young adults between the ages of 10-24.