Forbes
The expanding measles outbreaks in England and the U.S. are causing increased concern among public health officials. Last week, the U.K. Health Security Agency declared a “national incident” over a surge in measles cases across the country. Yesterday, the British National Health Service began a major “catch up” vaccination campaign to ensure adequate uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

There were 45 times more measles cases in Europe in 2023 than in 2022, according to the World Health Organization. Specifically, health officials recorded 42,200 cases of measles across Europe in 2023, compared with only 941 cases in 2022. This month, nearly 200 new cases have been confirmed in the West Midlands region and London area alone, according to the UKSHA.

The UKSHA declared a “national incident” in response to the rise in cases, signaling the growing public health risk. What’s particularly unsettling is the concurrent rise in childhood vaccine exemptions, which has led to a drop in vaccination rate.

According to the National Health Service England, the MMR vaccination rate in the Birmingham region was around 83% in December 2022. It may have declined since then. To optimally protect the population, a rate of at least 95% is critical. And to illustrate the gravity of the situation, according to UKSHA, only around 50% of children have had their full MMR series in parts of East London.

As the measles outbreaks expand across England, particularly in the London and Birmingham areas, the National Health Services launched a “catch-up campaign” on January 22, with pop-up clinics at schools and letters being mailed to millions of parents and guardians in the hopes of increasing immunization rates.

In the U.S., as of January 12, two counties in Washington state reported a total of six measles cases among unvaccinated adults. In Camden County, New Jersey, health officials confirmed a measles case on January 13. And the Philadelphia-area outbreak stands at nine confirmed cases, as of January 23.

Public health experts in the U.S. have begun to sound the alarm. Waning herd immunity is leading to outbreaks, says Peter Hotez, researcher and professor of pediatrics, molecular virology and microbiology at the Baylor College of Medicine, in a January 23 CBS news report.

The reduced herd immunity is attributed to a gradual decline in immunization rates, as increasing numbers of parents forego vaccinating their children, citing religious or philosophical reasons. In the 2022-2023 school year, nonmedical vaccine exemptions for kindergarteners increased in 41 states, according to the CDC.

With childhood vaccine hesitancy—or simply outright refusal—on the rise in the U.K., U.S. and Europe, the problem is likely to worsen.

Measles causes an initial flu-like illness with symptoms that include a high fever of over 103 Fahrenheit (39.4 Celsius), copious congestion, red eyes and a rash that spreads around the entire body. Patients develop ear infections, severe gastrointestinal upset, pneumonia and brain swelling. Moreover, the virus can alter immune memory, wiping out preexisting antibodies.

In the 1960s, measles was the single leading killer of young children globally. Vaccination campaigns significantly reduced mortality. Based on estimates published in the journal The Lancet, the global number of measles deaths in 2020 was 60,700, a 94% decrease from 1,072,800 deaths in 2000, and a 98% drop from 2,600,000 deaths in 1980.

However, from 2020 to 2022, measles fatalities worldwide have more than doubled, reaching 136,000.

The launch of Covid-19 vaccines—and the vast amount of misinformation about them—appears to have prompted more unwarranted concerns about MMR and other childhood vaccinations. MORE