Overview
- The UK Health Security Agency reports 736 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England between 1 January and 8 June 2026 and confirms two child deaths this year.
- The largest outbreaks are focused in London and the West Midlands, with most infections occurring in unvaccinated children aged 10 years and under.
- Officials say one death followed acute measles infection and the other was attributed to the late effects of the disease, underscoring the virus’s potential for severe complications.
- Public-health bodies, LSHTM experts and the NHS are urging immediate catch-up MMR/MMRV vaccination through GP practices and advising people to call their GP surgery or 111 before attending in person.
- National first-dose MMR coverage for five-year-olds was 91.8% in 2024/25, the lowest since 2010/11, leaving immunity gaps that raise the risk of school outbreaks and increased hospitalisations this summer.