Some key points from Cornwall Council’s Public Health on the risk of Measles and importance of vaccination along with further information in the attached MMR leaflet: UKHSA-12330-MMR-for-all-leaflet_June2022

1. Measles is a nasty viral decease that can cause severe illness, hospitalisation and in extreme cases death – it is almost entirely preventable if people have two Measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccines in their life time.
2. The vaccines are part of the routine children’s vaccination programme and are given at age 1 year and 3 years 4 months (or there abouts). If children have these two vaccines it provides life long immunity.
3. The vaccines are entirely safe, there is a large body of evidence to support this.
4. If, for whatever reason someone has not had any of their vaccines or only one, they can contact their GP and organise a vaccine.
5. Currently we have approximately 30,000 residents in Cornwall aged between 2 years old and 25 years old who are unvaccinated and therefore will all be susceptible to catching and spreading measles including in North Kerrier and East Penwith.
6. There are measles outbreaks in London and the West Midlands and parts of Europe currently and it will only be a matter of time (with travel and visitors) before we get outbreaks in Cornwall.
7. Measles is almost entirely Preventable, please get vaccinated – it’s never too late, just contact your GP surgery and book an appointment