Overview

• There have been 420 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England since January, with two-thirds occurring in children aged 10 and under.
• UKHSA data show 109 cases in April and 86 in May, and reporting delays suggest recent totals may be underestimated.
• Half of the cases in the past month were in London and a quarter in the North West, with additional outbreaks in the West Midlands.
• MMR uptake for five-year-olds fell from 88% in 2014 to 84% in 2024, while six-in-one vaccine coverage dropped from 89% to 83%, both below the WHO’s 95% target.
• NHS England is trialling home visits for catch-up jabs and urging parents to check immunisation records before travelling this summer.