An outbreak of measles is spreading as new cases of the killer Victorian disease are detected in England. Two young people in Leicester have been confirmed as having the highly infectious disease.
It means there are five cases in the West Midlands, with two in the East Midlands, one in the North West, one in the North East, two in the east of England, two in the Yorkshire and the Humber, eight in London, and seven in Cardiff.
Rob Howard, Leicester’s director of public health, said: “We have recently had two confirmed cases of measles in the city; one case is a university student, and the other is a school student.” He added: “The best way to protect yourself and your family is to have the MMR vaccination.
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“Anyone who hasn’t already had two doses should contact their GP surgery for an appointment to get vaccinated.” Dr Virginia Ashman, a local GP in Leicester, said: “If you have had measles or were born before 1970, it is highly likely that you have a good level of immunity from measles already.
“We particularly want to encourage vaccination in young children and women of childbearing age. We particularly want to encourage vaccination in young children and women of childbearing age.
“The MMR vaccination is not given in pregnancy, and so the best way to protect young babies from measles is to receive antibodies from their mother until they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves.” Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth, the NHS says.
The first symptoms of measles include a high temperature, a runny or blocked nose, sneezing and a cough, as well as red, sore, watery eyes. Small white spots may appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips a few days later. These spots usually last a few days, the NHS adds.