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Important information about measles in South East London

Lewisham Council is working with closely with other South East London councils, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) and local NHS partners after a measles outbreak was detected at a school in a neighbouring borough. 

Measles is a highly infectious disease that spreads very easily among people who are not fully vaccinated. While many people recover, measles can lead to serious complications such as brain inflammation, pneumonia and – in rare cases – long-term disability or death.

NHS England figures show that around 20 percent of children who catch measles require hospital treatment.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated adults are also at risk of serious illness. In a school setting, they can also risk spreading measles across multiple classes and year groups.

How to get vaccinated

The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) is available for free to all children and adults born on or before 31st December 2019. Two doses are required to be fully protected from measles.

The MMRV vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox) is available for free to all children born on or after 1st Jan 2020. Children are offered this vaccine at 12mo and 18mo, and two doses are required to be fully protected from measles.

  • Children under school age can catch up on the MMRV vaccine at their GP
  • School-age children can catch up on the MMR(V) vaccine through NHS clinics throughout South London, with regular clinics across Lewisham: NHS catch-up clinics
  • Adults can catch up on the MMR vaccine through their GP

What this means for your school community

Vaccination offers the best and safest protection for students and staff.

It is important to work with the NHS CYPCIS vaccination team to ensure information about their catch up clinics is shared widely and routine school visits are supported.  

You may wish to talk to your occupational health team about supporting staff vaccination, as unvaccinated or partially vaccinated adults are also at risk.

Important contact details

If you have a suspected or confirmed case of measles in your setting, please contact your local UKHSA health protection team on 0300 303 0450 / london.region@ukhsa.gov.uk for immediate advice and support. 

For further information, please see the links below.

Measles - NHS

How the MMRV protects against 4 potentially serious illnesses, including measles and chickenpox – UK Health Security Agency

What to do if you think your child has measles and when to keep them off school – The Education Hub