Has measles really been 'eliminated' in the UK?

"Measles eliminated in the UK for the first time," reports The Telegraph. This and other stories in the media are based on a new World Health Organization (WHO) report confirming the UK is now one of 33 countries in Europe to have "eliminated" measles. "Elimination" is the official term used once a country has reduced the number of cases of a disease to a low enough level to stop it spreading through the general population for at least three years. It doesn't mean that measles has been wiped out or eradicated in the UK. In 2016 there were more than 500 cases in England and Wales. However, the disease wasn't able to spread more widely. It also doesn't mean that children no longer need the MMR vaccination, which protects against mumps and rubella as well as measles. In fact it's vital that young children continue having the MMR vaccination to stop the number of measles cases rising again. Read more about the MMR vaccination   What is measles and what is the vaccination? Measles is an infectious disease that can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia. In rare cases it can be fatal. Anybody who has not been vaccinated and has not had measles before is at risk of catching it. Having measles can cause cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, sore red eyes, fever and small grey-white spots inside the cheeks. A few days after this, a red-brown rash will appear, usually starting on the head or upper neck and spreading down to the rest of the bo...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news