A measles epidemic could hit Kent if uptake rates of MMR vaccinations do not continue to improve.
That is the warning from the county’s three primary care trusts (PCTs), which are urging parents to ensure their children are fully protected against the increased threat from the potentially lethal disease.
About 95 per cent of England’s population needs to be vaccinated to protect against a widespread outbreak of measles, but uptake rates in Kent are lower than that figure.
Immunisation rates began to fall following a controversial study, published 10 years ago, linking MMR with autism.
Although medics and the Government have worked hard to dismiss the study, public confidence in the jab has still not been fully restored.
Last week the Department of Health asked all PCTs to offer the vaccine to children up to the age of 18 not already fully protected.
Dr Alison Barnett, director of health for Medway PCT, said: “We fully support the MMR catch-up campaign, which initially focuses on children and young people aged 13 months to 18 years who have not had an MMR vaccine.
“Vaccination rates are good in Medway compared to other parts of the country, with 76 per cent of children having had two MMR vaccinations by the age of four, but not high enough to prevent a potential outbreak of measles.
“Measles can be a very serious infection causing pneumonia and encephalitis, and is sometimes fatal.
“We encourage parents to ensure their children are fully immunised against measles, mumps and rubella.”
The percentage of children immunised by their second birthday in west Kent has fluctuated from 89 per cent between April and June, 2007, down to 77 per cent between October and December, 2007, and then back up to 80 per cent between January and March this year.
Percentages nationally for the same time periods were 92 per cent, 83 per cent and 83 per cent again respectively.
Declan O’Neill, assistant director of public health for NHS West Kent, said: “We fully support the Department of Health drive to ensure every child up to the age of 18 is vaccinated against measles.
“The Health Protection Agency has highlighted a risk of a large measles outbreak of between 30,000 and 100,000 cases, the majority in London.
“NHS West Kent’s proximity to south east London makes this drive even more important and we will be working closely with GPs across our area to ensure all parents with children who have not already been vaccinated have the opportunity now.”
Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT – which is responsible for about 710,000 people living in Swale, Ashford, Canterbury, Thanet and Dover – has also seen a drop in MMR uptake rates in recent years.
The percentage of children immunised by their second birthday has fallen from 88 per cent in the final quarter of 2006, to 84 per cent in the first quarter of 2007 and to 79 per cent in the final quarter of 2007.
However, spokesman Gary Mcfegan said the PCT was expecting to see a rise when the figures for the first quarter of 2008 are released.
He added: “The Department of Health is very clear that its own experts say parents who have not had their children vaccinated with the MMR vaccine should do so as soon as possible.
“The department also says the evidence on MMR is very clear – there is no link between the vaccine and autism.
“The MMR vaccine take-up rate is not high enough to cancel out the threat of a measles outbreak.
“Measles is a serious illness and in some cases it can be fatal. Delaying immunisation puts children at risk.”
The previous success of the MMR vaccination programme reduced the number of measles cases to very low levels for a number of years.
Between 1992 and 2006 there were no deaths from acute measles in England.
However, there was one in 2006 and another this year.
POSTED: 17/08/2008 16:00:00
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