• 11 months ago
A potential surge in measles cases looms on the horizon, with data from the UK Health Security Agency indicating a notable uptick across the nation a more than twofold increase in suspected measles cases in England and Wales in 2023 compared the year before UK Health Security Agency found 1,603 "likely" cases of measles in England and Wales in 2023, up from 735 in 2022, and just 360 the year before.

The news comes after health officials found low vaccination rates for the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine has heightened the risk of the potentially deadly infection. Recent trends in suspected infection rates highlight West Midlands and London as hotspots in the last four weeks of December 2023.

Out of the 237 cases for England and Wales, 57 suspected cases were recorded in the West Midlands, while London accounted for 44 cases over the same period. Measles is a highly infectious viral illness, which can have a major impact on a person's immune system, which often leaves children and vulnerable citizens more susceptible to catching other infections.
Transcript
00:00 The UK Health Security Agency found 1,603 likely cases of measles in England and Wales
00:09 in 2023. That's up from 735 in 2022 and just 360 the year before. The news comes after
00:18 health officials found low vaccination rates for the MMR vaccine has heightened the risk
00:25 of the potentially deadly infection. Recent trends in suspected infection rates highlight
00:30 the West Midlands and London as hot spots in the last four weeks of December 2023. Out
00:36 of the 237 cases for England and Wales, 57 suspected cases were recorded in the West
00:42 Midlands while London accounted for 44 over the same period. Measles is a highly infectious
00:48 viral illness which can have a major impact on a person's immune system which often
00:53 leaves children and vulnerable citizens more susceptible to catching other infections.

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