London bears brunt of measles

Measles cases are already six times higher than last year and the majority are in London, it was reported today.

Health workers blame outbreaks in the capital on parents who are concerned about a possible link between the triple mumps, measles and rubella vaccine (MMR) and autism.

In the first two months of the year there were 69 cases nationally; in the whole of last year there were only 62.

The number of suspected cases is also at the highest level for four years, with GPs reporting 662 cases in January and February, an increase of 38 per cent on last year.

A Public Health Laboratory Service spokesman said: "The majority of this year's cases are in London, reflecting the incidents going on there.

"We don't think we are talking about national epidemics. But clearly, if vaccination rates are lower than we would like, we run the risk of localised clusters and that is what we have seen in south London."

Almost half the confirmed cases involve children aged between one and four - the target age for the MMR vaccine. A total of 36 cases were linked to nursery schools in southwest London, where nearly a third of parents are refusing to have their children vaccinated.

The Department of Health has repeatedly insisted that the combined jab is the safest and most effective way to protect children against the diseases, but around a quarter of London parents have refused to give their children the MMR vaccine.