The latest figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveal that 496 laboratory confirmed cases of measles were reported in England and Wales up to the end of May 2011, surpassing the annual 2010 total of 374 cases.
Immunisation data released by the HPA, however, shows that UK uptake rates for MMR in children aged two have reached 90% in the first quarter of this year, the highest level for 13 years and a 0.6% increase from the previous quarter. The new cases of measles are predominately in children and adults under 19 years of age and the vast majority are unvaccinated. Other European countries have also seen increases in measles cases in recent months, with over 11,000 cases reported across 35 European countries in the first four months of the year.
