Black Country parents urged to get children vaccinated, after boy with measles dies in Liverpool
The 95% coverage target of vaccination uptake in the Black Country is not being met.
Medical professionals in the Black Country are urging residents to ensure they and their children have their MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccination.
It follows reports over the weekend that a young boy, who was ill with measles and other health problems and was receiving treatment at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, had died.
He's believed to be the second child in England to die in the past five years after contracting the disease.
A statement published by Alder Hey on Sunday said it would not comment on individual cases, but that the hospital is "concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles".
Alder Hey said it has treated 17 children since June for the effects and complications of the disease.
The nation needs to "redouble its efforts" to vaccinate more children, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting as he stresses that vaccines "save lives".
The Government say they will be carrying out work throughout the remainder of the year to boost uptake.
Dr Mohit Mandiratta is a GP based at Feldon Practice in Halesowen and tells us it's 'never too late to get a vaccine.'
He said, "Measles, particularly, is one of the most highly infectious diseases that we know and it spreads really rapidly among people who haven't had vaccines.
"Vaccinations are the most important thing we can do to protect ourselves and our children against ill health.
"We know that they prevent millions of deaths worldwide, every single year.
"Two doses of the MMR vaccine are highly effective at providing life-long protection against measles which can have serious complications and, indeed, be life-threatening in some cases.
"So, it's incredibly important to get vaccinated- even if you feel like you're tired of having vaccines!"
People with the infection have a number of cold and flu-like symptoms and a rash appears a few days after symptoms start.
On rare occasions, measles can also lead to meningitis and brain swelling, which can cause long-term disabilities or even death.
NHS England figures covering 2023/24 show that not a single vaccine met the target needed to ensure diseases cannot spread among youngsters.
In fact, national trends imply a decline in the number of vaccination uptakes.
Dr Mandiratta partly blames this on 'the rise of misinformation and myths.'
"There's sadly a lot of false claims around the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, particularly through social media.
"This inevitably creates doubt and fear, which ultimately discourages people from getting vaccinated.
"The Red Book is a really good way to check if your child has had their vaccine.
"You can always contact your GP practice if you're unsure.
"It's never too late to have a vaccine."
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says to achieve herd immunity - which stops illnesses transmitting across the population - at least 95% of children should receive their set of vaccine doses for each illness.
Figures shows 91.9% of five-year-olds had received one dose of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, the lowest level since 2010/11, while just 83.9% had received both doses, the lowest since 2009/10.
Uptake of the first MMR dose at 24 months stood at 88.9% in 2023/24 - again, the lowest since 2009/10.
You can find more information about the MMR vaccine on the Black Country NHS ICB's website via the link here.