Measles: UNICEF warns Coronavirus could bring resurgence
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Rates of measles – a highly infectious viral illness that can be very unpleasant and sometimes lead to serious complications – is on the rise in the UK. This is owing to a concerning trend that has gathered steam over the pandemic. “Vaccines in general have been going down over the last five to 10 years but the pandemic has accelerated this trend,” explained Doctor Sara on ITV’s This Morning.
The figures are stark: one in ten schoolchildren are at risk of measles due to low vaccination rates.
Doctor Sara puts the plunge in vaccination rates during the pandemic down to three forces: parents were probably unaware that child vaccination was still being privatised during the pandemic, were worried about catching Covid and worried about putting strain on the NHS.
However, it is vital that these concerns are assuaged as soon as possible.
“Nine in ten children who do not get vaccinated will catch measles,” Doctor Sara warned.
What’s more, for every one child infected, 14 will go on to catch it, she said.
The vaccine uptake in the UK is currently at 85 percent, but the World Health Organization has suggested a threshold of 95 percent and above to avoid outbreak.
The picture is particularly concerning because measles can cause inflammation that results in “long-term disabilities and even death”, warned Doctor Sara.
Although, as the TV doc points out, measles aren’t serious for most people.
“One in 1000 people may actually die from it,” she said.
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