Health minister accuses social media giants of failing to crack down on anti-vaxxers as official figures show up to one in four children haven’t had both of their MMR jabs
- One in four five-year-olds may not be fully vaccinated in London, PHE said
- Jo Churchill said social media needs to fight ‘misinformation’ about vaccines
- She warned of the spike in measles cases across England
Social media giants have been accused of failing to crack down on anti-vaxxers as official figures show up to one in four children haven’t had both of their MMR jabs.
Health minister Jo Churchill said social media companies need to do more to fight ‘misinformation’ about the safety of vaccines.
One in seven five-year-olds in England may not have had all their routine jabs, Public Health England has said.
In London, the figure rises to around one in four children.
All parents urged to check their child’s immunisation records – especially those whose children are about to start school.
It follows a spike in measles cases, with 231 cases confirmed in the first quarter of this year.
Health minister Jo Churchill has accused social media giants of failing to crack down on anti-vaxxers
The UK has seen a rise in the number of reported cases of measles (Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Di/PA)
The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. The number of Britons vaccinating themselves or their children has steadily declined in recent years.
Ms Churchill said the Government will work alongside social media companies to make sure people have access to enough information to ‘help keep their children safe’.
She said immunisation is important in fighting diseases like measles, warning more needs to be done to make sure parents have their children vaccinated.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Ms Churchill said: ‘There has been a spike, we’ve had more than 230 cases of measles in the UK during the first quarter of this year, so we will be strengthening the role of the local immunisation coordinators and making sure that parents have all the information that they need.’
She said the NHS and the Government need to work with social media companies so that ‘misinformation is also taken down, and that we give people the correct information that they can help keep their children safe’.
Ms Churchill added: ‘I actually think we can go a little harder and make sure they work with us.’
She said: ‘We know that vaccinations are an incredibly good way of protecting large numbers of the population.
‘And the side-effects of somebody that contracts measles are awful, and it also affects other groups with low immune systems, so people suffering from leukaemia for example.’
Figures released by PHE today estimate that more than 30,000 – around one in 19 – five-year-olds may still need to receive their first dose of MMR.
Around 90,000 in England may still need to receive their second dose of MMR – almost 30,000 of these children are in London.
Not having the MMR jab leaves them significantly more at risk compared to pupils who are fully vaccinated when starting school.
Around 100,000 – one in eight – five-year-olds across England may still need their 4-in-1 pre-school booster that protects against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said: ‘It’s a real concern that so many young children – as many as a quarter of a reception class in some areas – could be starting school without the full protection that the NHS childhood immunisation programme offers for free.
‘We’re particularly concerned about children being at greater risk of measles. We’re continuing to see outbreaks of the disease occurring in communities across the country, many linked to visiting European countries over the summer holidays.
‘It’s crucial that children have maximum protection as they begin to mix with other children at the start of their school journey.’
Britain was declared ‘measles free’ by the World Health Organisation in 2016 after a 36-month period with no ‘endemic’ transmission – meaning the only outbreaks in that time had started abroad and were then passed on.
Since 2016, however, uptake of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) jab has fallen each year and the WHO has revoked the country’s measles-free status.
Borish Johnson said last night Britain has lost its ‘measles-free’ status three years after the virus was eliminated in the country.
He pledged a ‘decisive’ response to tackling the spread of misinformation by the ‘antivaxx’ movement.
Ms Churchill said the Government is working to make sure there are no shortages of drugs, including measles vaccines, following Brexit.
She said: ‘On the measles vaccine, there are buffer stocks in place and I don’t see any issue with supply.
‘We also saw last week the Secretary of State procuring an express freight service with the aim to secure transport for medical supplies within 24 hours.’
Asked about the availability of other drugs, including insulin, Ms Churchill said: ‘Making sure that people feel safe when they need their supplies of insulin or other drugs, many of us take drugs to help us stay fit and healthy, that they can be sure that those supplies are there.’
She added: ‘People are already dealing with their own particular set of circumstances around the disease, and making sure that we don’t give them anything else to worry about is what we are focusing on every day.’
WHAT IS MEASLES, WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND HOW CAN YOU CATCH IT?
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing.
Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash.
The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading.
Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue.
In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis.
Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society told MailOnline: ‘Measles can be very serious.
‘[It] can cause encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain.
‘Encephalitis can result in death or disability.’
Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary.
Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old.
Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital
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