A case of Measles has been confirmed in a part of the county.

Public Health England confirmed this afternoon that there has been one confirmed diagnosis of the illness in Loughborough, just hours after Boris Johnson called for action to halt the spread across the UK.

The UK previously had a measles free status, however that status has now been lost with around 231 confirmed cases in the first quarter of 2019.

It is thought that there are still thousands of children across the East Midlands that are yet to be given the MMR vaccine, which protects against Measles, Mumps and Rubella.

Public Health England is now urging parents to get their children vaccinated in order to stop the spread of the disease.

Dr Vanessa MacGregor, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at PHE East Midlands, said: “It’s a real concern that so many young children in our region could be starting school without the full protection that the NHS childhood immunisation programme offers for free.

"We know that parents want the best protection for their children and so many may be unaware that their child is not up-to-date.

"We’re urging all parents of primary school starters to check their child’s Red Book now to make sure there is a record of two MMR doses and the 4-in-1 booster vaccine.

"If not, parents should contact their GP practice to arrange any further vaccinations that are needed."

What is Measles?

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can cause serious health issues.

Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has never previously had it can contract the illness.

The symptoms can develop at around 10 days after you've been infected.

According to the NHS website symptoms can include:

  • cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing and a cough
  • sore, red eyes that may be sensitive to light
  • a high temperature (fever), which may reach around 40C (104F)
  • small greyish-white spots on the inside of the cheeks

"We often think that these diseases are confined to the past"

Dr MacGregor warned that she was particularly worried about the spread of Measles that may have been picked up through the summer holidays as families visit European countries.

"We’ve seen outbreaks of this disease in the East Midlands in the past year and we’re continuing to see outbreaks of the disease occurring in communities across the country, many linked to visiting European countries over the summer holidays," she said.

"We often think that these diseases are confined to the past, but the World Health Organisation has recently confirmed that measles is no longer eliminated in England.

"If you are unsure whether your child has received the relevant vaccines you can go to and refer to your child’s Red Book. If in any doubt, contact your GP practice."