Overview
- NHS England this week began a catch‑up drive inviting about one million families of children aged roughly 12 months to 11 years to book missed MMR or combined MMRV doses, with GP contact for under‑6s and NHS App, text, email or letters for 6–11s.
- The campaign runs until March next year and uses a phased rollout of the combined MMRV shot that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox to cut the number of appointments needed for eligible children.
- Public health data show more than 800 confirmed measles cases in the first half of 2026 and two reported child deaths, with cases recorded in every English region and the majority in London.
- Two‑dose MMR coverage at age five is 84.1%, well below the 95% WHO target, and there is a 7.5 percentage‑point gap in uptake between the least and most deprived areas, which officials say is driving local outbreaks.
- Officials urge parents to accept invitations to catch up because two doses give the best protection, GPs will help overcome access barriers, and the push follows the WHO’s loss of the UK’s measles elimination status earlier this year.