Doctors warn of measles epidemic

Health officials are warning of a potential measles epidemic in South Warwickshire.

The Health Protection Agency has been notified of 27 suspected cases - most of them in children under 10. Twelve cases had been reported by 10 November.

Last year, there were only seven cases suspected for the whole of November.

The agency is urging parents whose children have not had the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) jabs to contact their GPs and arrange to have them.

Agency spokeswoman Dr Huda Mohamed: "We are on the cusp of a measles epidemic and we must do all we can to head it off by encouraging parents to immunise their children."

Measles is an unpleasant illness, she added, and the complications can be severe, long-lasting and on rare occasions fatal.

The level of immunisation in South Warwickshire is at 84% of under-fives. The national target is 95% to be immunised by pre-school age.