Regional health experts are stressing to parents the importance of the MMR vaccine.
The message follows publication of a report showing that in 2007 Yorkshire and the Humber had the third highest number of measles cases in the country, with 44 per cent of those in West Yorkshire.
Dr Pat Riordan, director of the West Yorkshire Health Protection Unit, said: “Our report outlines just how important it is for us to continue working with our primary care colleagues to reduce the number of people affected by measles and other infectious diseases and threats to health in West Yorkshire.
“In August this year we welcomed the chief medical officer’s MMR catch up programme.
“This initiative will help primary care trusts and GPs to identify individuals who are not up-to-date with their MMR and we believe this will play a major part in reducing this figure in our communities.
“Children are best protected from the measles virus when they have been given two doses of the MMR vaccination and I’d like to remind all parents of the importance of this safe and effective immunisation to protect both individuals and our whole community from the spread of infections,” she said.
To view the report or discover more about the unit’s work on measles and other notifiable diseases, log on to the web hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1228983271447.
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