In UK city there has been an outbreak of measles experts are warning parents to make sure that their child is vaccinated against the disease.
According to the city council two cases have been confirmed in Leicester, a university student and a school pupil. It comes after seven children were confirmed to have measles in Cardiff during the past six weeks.
The director of public health in Leicester Rob Howard, said, recently we had two confirmed cases of measles in the city; one case is a university student, and the other is a school student who have not taken theMeasles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine, known as MMR.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said the risk of a measles epidemic across the UK is considered small – but there are now growing concerns over a rise in confirmed cases. And because of the low vaccination rates in London, , the UKHSA previously warned an outbreak between 40,000 and 160,000 cases could happen in the capital.
According to the latest figures, there were five cases, including three in London, in September. Since then, local authorities have been publishing their own figures since they want to encourage more individuals to get vaccinated.
The MMR vaccines are open to all children, and are judged to be 99 per cent effective over two doses at the age of five. However, as revealed by The Independent in September, some areas have rates as low as 56 per cent.
Across the UK, 85.6 per cent of children who turned five between January and March this year had received their second dose.
Mr. Howard said: Measles is a very infectious virus and spreads very fast. Individuals who catch measles usually recover completely within a couple of weeks, however at times it can be a very serious illness which can lead to permanent disability and occasionally can cause death.
The city council said, Presently the NHS in Leicestershire is working with GP practices in a bid to get more children vaccinated in the coming weeks.
Symptoms for measles include sneezing, cough, high temperature, and followed by a rash on the body. The virus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes – and children who are infected should stay away from nursery or schools for at least four days.
A consultant in health protection at UKHSA, Susanne Howes said, it’s very important for people to know the symptoms of measles, which generally starts with cold-like symptoms followed by fever, a red-brown blotchy rash, and red eyes.
Initial symptoms of measles develop around 10 days after a person is infected, but it takes between 7 to 21 days. Seek medical attention, if you experience these symptoms but before you visit your GP surgery make an appointment ahead, so that necessary arrangements can be made to prevent others from being infected.
