Kirklees health chiefs fear measles epidemic

Jan 14 2009 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

NEARLY 7,000 children in north Kirklees are at risk of catching measles, health bosses fear.

Many young children are not protected against the potentially fatal disease because they have not had the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Some parts of north Kirklees fall below the national average (85%) for uptake of the MMR jab.

It is thought many parents still fear a link between the vaccine and autism.

Dewsbury, Batley and Spen are the areas where fewer children have been vaccinated against the deadly disease.

Experts say there is a risk of a measles epidemic, saying between 30,000 and 100,000 children could suffer from the disease.

The Health Protection Agency says there were 1,217 cases from January to November last year in England and Wales.

In November alone there were 115 reported cases, 72 in October and 83 in September.