Measles Outbreaks Surge in UK and US Amid Low Vaccine Uptake

Unvaccinated children face isolation as health officials scramble to contain the disease and boost MMR vaccination rates.

Measles cases are on the rise in the UK, particularly in Birmingham, with hospitals dealing with their biggest outbreak in years. Birmingham Children's Hospital has treated 50 children for measles in the past month.
Low uptake of the MMR vaccine is blamed for the increase in cases. In some areas in London, coverage of the first MMR dose at two years of age is as low as 69.5 per cent.
Unvaccinated children in Birmingham are being forced to isolate for up to three weeks due to the measles outbreak. Health chiefs have declared a 'national incident' with more than 300 confirmed or likely cases identified in the West Midlands since October.
In Philadelphia, a group of doctors is offering free measles vaccines following an outbreak in the city. There have been eight confirmed cases of the disease since late December, all among unvaccinated people.
Measles is a highly contagious disease, with complications ranging from rashes to severe conditions like viral sepsis, pneumonia, and brain swelling. The MMR vaccine is highly effective in preventing infection.