Derbyshire: Council urges parents to get their children vaccinated

Letters have been sent to the parents of all school pupils in Derbyshire reminding them to make sure their children get the MMR vaccine.
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Guardian News

Derbyshire County Council has written to all parents as part of its work in partnership with Public Health England and the NHS to keep the number of measles cases in Derbyshire low.

There have been four reported cases of measles in the county this year, but public health professionals are urging parents to check their child’s vaccination records and take urgent action if they are not up to date.

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The majority of current outbreaks have been reported in unvaccinated school children and young adults, with nearly half of all cases reported in 10 to 16-year-olds who have not had the two doses of vaccine needed to provide a higher level of immunity.

Councillor Dave Allen, Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for health and communities said: “We have a strong MMR vaccination record in Derbyshire with 94% of two-year-olds and 93% of five-year-olds vaccinated, but there remain some children who are unvaccinated or have not had both vaccines.

“We estimate that around 2,700 Derbyshire 10 to 16-year-olds have not had any vaccine and 5,200 have had just one dose.

“The letter we’ve sent to schools urges the parents of children who have not been fully vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine to contact their GP and make an appointment as soon as possible.”

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