Measles outbreak in Suffolk
PARENTS have been urged to vaccinate their children against measles after it emerged there has been an outbreak of the potentially killer disease in Suffolk.
PARENTS have been urged to vaccinate their children against measles after it emerged there has been an outbreak of the potentially killer disease in Suffolk.
Doctors renewed their vaccination calls after five youngsters in the Bungay area were diagnosed with the extremely contagious disease.
The news has re-ignited the debate over the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination – which some parents have snubbed in the wake of fears the jab may be linked to autism.
Most experts say there is no evidence, but in Suffolk only 85% of two-year-old children have had the MMR jab – one of the lowest uptakes outside London.
Last night Dr Torbjorn Sundkvist, of the Suffolk Local Health Protection Unit, said: "I would urge parents who have not had their children vaccinated to think again.
"As the number of children being vaccinated declines, so the chances of a serious outbreak increases."
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The five children suffering from measles – which can cause convulsions, pneumonia, encephalitis and can kill – have all recovered.
However, the county's GPs, who can give MMR jabs, have been informed of the measles outbreak and asked to be vigilant.
