Overview
- UKHSA confirms 83 measles cases in the past month concentrated in Enfield, with most infections in children under 10.
- National two‑dose MMR coverage stands at 83.7%, well below the World Health Organization’s roughly 95% threshold for herd immunity, leaving London especially vulnerable.
- Experts including Prof Simon Kenny and Prof Benedict Michael warn the current surge will lead to more cases of SSPE, a relentlessly progressive and usually fatal complication of measles.
- Sarah Walton’s case underscores the risk: infected at 11 months, she developed SSPE at 25 and died in 2025 at 45 after years of profound disability.
- Local GPs report vaccination drives that delivered 2,600 doses in five months during a recent outbreak, raising uptake from 17% to 47%, with renewed calls for parents to get MMR and seek NHS advice if measles is suspected.