Measles outbreak could hit 10,000

London's immunisation levels are a "cause for concern", experts say

NHS London has warned that a measles epidemic could affect more than 10,000 people across the city.

This year at least 500 people, mostly children, were infected in Lewisham alone, in south-east London, experts told the London Assembly.

The Assembly heard the outbreak was due to low rates of inoculation in London, which is just 70% compared to the national average of 84% of children.

The worst immunisation rates were in the boroughs of Lewisham and Newham.

Speaking before the Health and Public Services Committee, Dr Simon Tanner, regional director of Public Health London and health adviser to the Greater London Assembly said failure to give MMR jabs to children meant the city "could be looking at an outbreak in five figures".

'Frightening' prediction

The committee heard that although overall immunisation rates had increased marginally, there was a great disparity across the city.

In some of boroughs up to 89% children had received the measles, mumps and rubella jabs by the age of two while in some deprived boroughs the figures were very low.

Only 55.8% were immunised in Newham while 58.2% children received the jabs in Lewisham.

A spokesman for NHS London said: "Inoculation levels have fallen in London over recent years and this is a cause for concern. We need to work with parents as well as local Primary Care Trusts to increase inoculations across London."

James Cleverly, chair of the Health and Public Services Committee, said the prospect of an epidemic was "frightening".

"Measles is a very serious disease, with one in four infected people ending up in hospital. Yet, it is an entirely preventable disease, so everything possible must be done to increase immunisation across London."

NHS London said it was working "very hard" to achieve the EU target of eradicating measles by 2010.