Measles cases in Birmingham have ‘stabilised’, but parents urged to get children vaccinated

Birmingham was one of the cities which experienced an outbreak earlier this year, with Government figures showing 26 confirmed cases between January and June 30 and which had left NHS bosses ‘worried’.

But, while outbreak is not at the current level of Liverpool where a child died in Alder Hey Hospital, people are still being urged to get immunised.

Members of the NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) discussed the issue at a meeting on Monday.

Chief executive David Melbourne said: “You probably saw over the weekend there had been a death in Alder Hey from measles.

“We have had a measles outbreak across Birmingham and Solihull. It has not been at the level you’ve seen in Liverpool.

“Ruth Tennant, public health director in Solihull, is working with our Children’s Hospital to try and get some of the safe messaging across Birmingham and Solihull about the importance of vaccination for children.

“We know measles for young people can be tragic so there is some work to do there.”

Clara Day, chief medical officer, said ‘herd immunity’ and getting the population vaccinated was important to stopping the spread of the disease.

She said: “There certainly has been an increase above the baseline, which is zero, and we were worried for a few weeks but it seems to have stabilised out.

“We still have the same concerns around immunisation rates.”

The ICB has been urging people to get up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella jabs for the past few months.

Back in June, Helen Kelly, Chief Nursing Officer for NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB said: “There are lots of myths and misconceptions about the MMR

vaccination, but we know it is safe, effective and remains our best protection against a virus which can be life-threatening in the most serious cases.

“The MMR vaccination is safe for all faiths and cultures, and a pork-free version is available for those who avoid pork products.

“If you’re unsure, I strongly encourage parents to speak to their GP, health visitor or nurse to get accurate information and avoid the risks of misinformation which spreads easily online.”