Concern over possible measles outbreak and fall in take-up of MMR jabs highlighted in Calderdale public health debate

Vaccine take-up to protect children against measles is an issue, say Calderdale health professionals.

Councillors were discussing public health priorities for the coming year, including specific campaigns.

Coun Colin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat) wanted to know more about “bread and butter” issues including vaccination uptake in Calderdale, including for diseases such as measles and meningitis.

“How well are we doing there, and what is Public Health’s role in delivery?” he asked.

Public health consultant Ken Barnsley told scrutiny councillors take-up of vaccination was one of three priorities for the team.

Mr Barnsley said MMR – measles, mumps and rubella – vaccine take-up had been falling nationally. Take-up had worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic but had been declining for some time.

At age five the MMR take up rate was now less than 90 per cent and for combating a measles outbreak that needed to be more than 95 per cent.

The council was currently bidding for some resource to do something about the take-up situation locally.

It was a concern because a first case of measles had been reported in Yorkshire although not in Calderdale yet, said Mr Barnsley.

But there were likely to be cases and public health staff were working with primary and secondary schools to increase vaccine take-up, he told members of the council’s Adults, Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board.

Mr Barnsley said measles could cause problems for some GP practices.

There were no cases of measles in the UK in 2016, 2017 and 2018, he said.

“Some of the GPs have never seen a case of measles,” he told councillors.

Plans were in place to address the issue, he added.

The World Health Organisation has flagged up measles as a concern, with Covid denting vaccination programmes around the world.

Last month media were reporting concerns about rising cases, with the BBC reporting that there were 54 cases of measles in the whole of last year but already been 49 in the first four months of 2023.