The parents of a five-month-old baby who struggled to breathe after contracting measles have described their ordeal “scary” as the number of cases rises.
England faces a measles emergency with 86 confirmed cases in England last week, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
This brings the total number of measles cases recorded so far this year to almost 900 – a sharp increase from the 368 cases in all of 2023.
About two-thirds of those affected are under the age of 10.
Health professionals say the current outbreak, which started in the West Midlands last yearIt has already spread to all regions of the country.
London has become the latest hotspot and five-month-old Margot House is among those to have recently contracted the highly contagious disease.
Her mother, Georgia House, told Sky News: “It’s really scary because I was holding my baby, she was struggling to breathe and it looked horrible.
“She had rashes on her stomach, behind her neck and up her head.”
Her daughter likely contracted measles earlier this month when she was admitted to the hospital for an allergic reaction, House said.
Because Margot is less than 12 months old, she was not eligible for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and ended up back in the hospital, needing help breathing and eating.
The main symptoms of measles are high fever, watery and red eyes, coughing, sneezing and a rash that usually appears after the initial symptoms.
Georgia House is encouraging people to check their own vaccination records
Measles vaccination in the UK was introduced in 1968 and, until recently, widespread uptake had virtually eradicated the disease.
In recent weeks, hundreds of children have contracted the disease and health officials have warned that “many thousands of children across the country are not yet fully vaccinated and may be at risk of serious illness or lifelong complications.”
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Margot with her father James
Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA consultant epidemiologist, said: “The number of measles cases is rising across the country, with a particular rise seen in London in recent weeks.
“Parents should check their children’s Red Book now to ensure their children are up to date with MMR and other routine vaccinations. If you are unsure, contact your GP to check.”
Family doctors will be able to offer all the necessary vaccinations to bring them up to date, she added.
Margot will make a full recovery, but her parents, Georgia and James, are urging anyone who is behind on their vaccinations to get their shots.
“You can stop this from becoming an epidemic and a huge outbreak,” House said. “Allowing people who want to be vaccinated but don’t have the opportunity to continue to live their lives without fear of contracting a potentially fatal infection.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
