The leader of a UK city has vowed to ensure “we get everyone fully vaccinated” against measles after a child died of the highly-contagious disease. Earlier this week, Liverpool’s director of public health Prof Matt Ashton said he was very concerned about the spread of measles after the youngster died in the city’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
There have been 500 cases of measles this year in England, with the rise blamed on the falling uptake of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. In the north-west of England the figure is 85%, with lower rates of 73% per cent in Liverpool and 75% Manchester, according to NHS data. The World Health Organization (WHO) wants 95% of children fully vaccinated – double jabbed – by their fifth birthday for herd immunity.
Now the leader of Liverpool City Council Cllr Liam Robinson has vowed to ensure “we get everyone fully vaccinated” against measles following the local tragedy.
Cllr Robinson said the local authority extended its “deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences” to the family of the unidentified child, who was reported last Sunday to have died.
Health bosses said measles was on the rise among young people in the area, with a surge in “seriously unwell” children being admitted to hospital.
No official details have been released either about the latest child’s vaccination status or whether they were also being treated for other conditions.
It’s been reported the child was ill with measles and other health issues. Since June, Alder Hey said it had treated 17 children with measles.
Prof Ashton, Liverpool director of public health, said one person with measles can infect 15 others. He said there was “no link whatsoever” between the MMR vaccine and autism and this claim had been disproved several times.
Cllr Robinson said the Labour-run council would do its utmost to improve the uptake of vaccines in the city.
Addressing cabinet members on Tuesday, Cllr Robinson said: “We as a council extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the family of the child involved but equally one of things our team is focusing on is how we make sure we get everyone fully vaccinated against measles.
“It is something that is available free, it is something we want to encourage every child and person in the city to make sure it’s taken up because that is the very best way to protect all of our residents against the disease.”
The tragic child, whose age and sex is unknown, is believed to be the second youngster in England to die in the past five years after contracting measles.
Renae Archer, of Salford, Greater Manchester, died aged 10 in 2023 after complications from having measles as a baby. Her mother Rebecca, who has four other children, has been campaigning for parents to have their children vaccinated.
She said: “If other people were vaccinated, Renae might not have got the measles in the first place. She was only five months old.
“It’s really scary, until it happens to your family, you don’t realise the significance of getting vaccinated.”
An Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “To respect patient confidentiality, we can’t comment on individual cases.
“We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles.
“Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death.”
Patients at the site include those with compromised immunity due to other health issues “making them more susceptible to infections, including measles”, the spokesperson added.
The hospital’s chief nurse Nathan Askew said he felt misunderstandings around the vaccine were to blame for the low uptake in MMR.
“This vaccine’s been in use for well over 50 years. It’s very safe, tried and tested,” he said.
Consultant epidemiologist Dr Vanessa Saliba from the UK Health Security Agency said: “Measles is one of the most highly infectious diseases and spreads rapidly among those who are unvaccinated.
“It is a particularly nasty disease for any child and sadly for some children can be serious, leading to complications especially in young infants and those with a weakened immune system, and on rare occasions can tragically cause death.”
Measles infections usually start with cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose and coughing and sneezing, according to the NHS.
This is followed within days by a distinctive blotchy rash, which usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
A joint report by the WHO and the UN children’s fund, Unicef, recently found that the number of measles cases in Europe has reached its highest level in 25 years.