MMR vaccine: Johnson urges new impetus to increase uptake as UK loses measles-free status
BMJ 2019; 366 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l5219 (Published 20 August 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;366:l5219
- Jacqui Wise
- London
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has said that urgent action is needed to boost the number of children receiving the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine after the UK lost its measles-free status with the World Health Organization.
In the first quarter of 2019 some 231 cases of measles were confirmed in the UK. Many of these were acquired abroad, with some onward spread in under-vaccinated communities. The UK achieved measles-free status in 2016 after three years of limited spread due to high vaccination rates. However, a small but steady decline in MMR vaccine coverage has been measured in recent years.
Global rise
Earlier this month WHO warned that, in the first six months of 2019, almost three times as many measles cases were reported globally as in the …
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