Latest measles statistics published

Latest update

The latest number of laboratory confirmed measles cases in England have been published in an updated epidemiological overview by UKHSA.

Since the last update a week ago, a further 59 laboratory confirmed measles cases have been confirmed in England, bringing the total number of cases confirmed since 1 October 2023 to 789.

Although the outbreak in the West Midlands initially drove the increase in cases, activity there is now on a downward trend. In recent weeks, small clusters of cases have emerged in other regions such as London and the North West.

In the 4 weeks since 19 February 2024, there have been 158 laboratory confirmed measles cases. The West Midlands accounted for the majority of these (41%, 64 of 158), 27% (43 of 158) of cases have been in London, 10% (15 of 158) in the East Midlands, 7% in the North West (11 of 158) and 6% (9 of 158) in Yorkshire and the Humber. 

Since 1 October in England there have been 789 laboratory confirmed measles cases, 17 cases were reported in October, 42 in November, 157 in December 2023, 264 in January, 222 in February and 87 so far in March 2024. 59% (462 of 789) of these cases have been in the West Midlands, 19% (146 of 789) in London and 7% (54 of 789) in the East Midlands. The remaining cases were reported in other regions of England.

The majority (497 of 789, 63%) of these cases were in children under the age of 10 and 30% (234 of 789) in young people and adults over the age of 15 years.

The data published in this epidemiological overview covers the period between 1 October 2023 and 18 March 2024 and is currently provisional, with the number of cases for the most recent months likely to adjust as more suspected cases undergo confirmatory testing and data cleansing.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said:

While the measles outbreak in the West Midlands is now on a downward trend, we have in recent weeks seen small clusters emerging in other regions and so we cannot be complacent. It only takes one case to get into a community with low vaccination rates for measles to spread rapidly, especially in schools and nurseries. We know that hundreds of thousands of children around the country, particularly in some inner-city areas are still not fully vaccinated and are at risk of serious illness or life-long complications but measles is completely preventable with vaccination.

Our childhood vaccinations campaign is reminding parents of the importance of ensuring their children are vaccinated on time. Parents should check their child’s Red Book now to ensure that children have had their MMR and other routine vaccines. If you’re unsure get in touch with your GP practice and if needed they will bring your child up to date. Respond as soon as possible if the NHS is in touch to catch up.

Epidemiological updates will continue to be published every Thursday. Data included in this report are provisional and subject to change as more suspected cases undergo confirmatory testing and some locally tested cases are discarded after obtaining further epidemiological information or undergoing confirmatory testing at the reference laboratory.

Previous

Thursday 14 March 2024

The latest number of laboratory confirmed measles cases in England have been published in an updated epidemiological overview by UKHSA.

Since the last update a week ago, a further 52 laboratory confirmed measles cases have been confirmed in England. However, due to a routine retrospective data cleaning exercise in week 10 of 2024, 34 previously confirmed cases (since 1 October 2023) have been discarded in addition to 21 cases that had been erroneously reported. This brings the total number of cases confirmed since 1 October 2023 to 730.

Further revisions are expected while we continue to publish timely provisional data on a weekly basis to help monitor the current outbreak.

Although the outbreak in the West Midlands initially drove the increase in cases, activity there is now on a downward trend. In recent weeks, small clusters of cases have emerged in other regions such as London and the North West.

In the 4 weeks since 12 February 2024, there have been 151 laboratory confirmed measles cases. The West Midlands accounted for the majority of these (41%, 62 of 151), 26% (39 of 151) of cases have been in London, 12% (18 of 151) in the North West, 7% in Yorkshire and the Humber (11 of 151) and 7% (10 of 151) in the East Midlands. 

Since 1 October in England there have been 730 laboratory confirmed measles cases, 17 cases were reported in October, 42 in November, 156 in December 2023, 267 in January, 213 in February and 35 so far in March 2024. 60% (438 of 730) of these cases have been in the West Midlands, 18% (131 of 730) in London and 7% (48 of 730) in Yorkshire and the Humber. The remaining cases were reported in other regions of England.

The majority (462 of 730, 63%) of these cases were in children under the age of 10 and 29% (213 of 730) in young people and adults over the age of 15.

The data published in this epidemiological overview covers the period between 1 October 2023 and 11 March 2024 and is currently provisional, with the number of cases for the most recent months likely to adjust as more suspected cases undergo confirmatory testing and data cleansing.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said:

While the measles outbreak in the West Midlands is now on a downward trend, we have in recent weeks seen small clusters emerging in other regions and so we cannot be complacent. It only takes one case to get into a community with low vaccination rates for measles to spread rapidly, especially in schools and nurseries. We know that 100s of thousands of children around the country, particularly in some inner-city areas are still not fully vaccinated and are at risk of serious illness or life-long complications but measles is completely preventable with vaccination.

Our childhood vaccinations campaign is reminding parents of the importance of ensuring their children are vaccinated on time. Parents should check their child’s Red Book now to ensure that children have had their MMR and other routine vaccines. If you’re unsure get in touch with your GP practice and if needed they will bring your child up to date. Respond as soon as possible if the NHS is in touch to catch up.

Epidemiological updates will continue to be published every Thursday.

Previous

Thursday 7 March 2024

The latest number of laboratory confirmed measles cases in England have been published in an updated epidemiological overview  by UKHSA.

Since the last update a week ago, a further 83 laboratory confirmed measles cases have been confirmed in England. This brings the total number of cases confirmed since 1 October 2023 to 733.

Although the outbreak in the West Midlands initially drove the increase in cases, clusters of cases in other regions such as the North West have continued to increase in the past weeks.

In the 4 weeks since 5 February 2024, there have been 192 laboratory confirmed measles cases. The highest number of cases continue to be reported in the West Midlands (34%, 66 of 192) although case numbers in that region have now stabilised at a high level. 21% (41 of 192) of cases have been reported in the North West, 19% (39 of 192) in London, 13% in the East Midlands (25 of 192) and 7% (13 of 192) in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Since 1 October 2023 in England there have been 733 laboratory confirmed measles cases, 17 cases were reported in October, 42 in November, 158 in December, 276 in January and 239 in February and 1 so far in March 2024. 59% (432 of 733) of these cases have been in the West Midlands, 15% (112 of 733) in London and 8% (58 of 733) in the North West. The remaining cases were reported in other regions of England.

The majority (462 of 733, 63%) of these cases were in children under the age of 10 and 29.5% (216 of 733) in young people and adults over the age of 15.

The data published in this epidemiological overview covers the period between 1 October 2023 and 4 March 2024 and is currently provisional, with the number of cases for the most recent months likely to increase as more suspected cases undergo confirmatory testing.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said:

Worryingly we are continuing to see an increase of measles cases in some areas, most recently in parts of the North-West, where we know MMR vaccine uptake is low.

Parents are already coming forward to take up the offer of the MMR vaccine for their children, but 100s of thousands of unvaccinated children are at risk of serious illness or life-long complications. The disease spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in schools and nurseries, however measles is completely preventable with vaccination.

Our recently launched childhood vaccinations campaign is reminding parents of the importance of getting their children vaccinated on time. Parents can check their child’s Red Book to see they are fully up to date with their MMR jabs and all their routine vaccines. If any have been missed or if you’re unsure get in touch with your GP practice and respond promptly if the NHS gets in touch for your child to catch up.

Epidemiological updates will be continue to be published every Thursday.

Thursday 29 February 2024

The latest number of laboratory confirmed measles cases in England have been published in an updated epidemiological overview  by UKHSA.

Since the last update a week ago, a further 69 laboratory confirmed measles cases have been confirmed in England. This brings the total number of cases confirmed since 1 October 2023 to 650.

Although the outbreak in the West Midlands initially drove the increase in cases, clusters of cases in other regions such as the North West have continued to increase in the past week.

In the 4 weeks since 29 January 2024, there have been 183 laboratory confirmed measles cases. The West Midlands accounted for the majority of these (43%, 79 of 183), mostly in Birmingham, although case numbers in that region have now stabilized at a high level.  

19% (34 of 183) of cases have been in the North West, 14% (26 of 183) in London, 10% in the East Midlands (18 of 183) and 8% (15 of 183) in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Since 1 October in England there have been 650 laboratory confirmed measles cases, 17 cases were reported in October, 42 in November, 158 in December 2023, 268 in January and 165 so far in February 2024. 63% (410 of 650) of these cases have been in the West Midlands, 15% (95 of 650) in London and 7% (46 of 650) in Yorkshire and The Humber. The remaining cases were reported in other regions of England.

The majority (423 of 650, 65%) of these cases were in children under the age of 10 and 27% (178 of 650) in young people and adults over the age of 15.

The data published in this epidemiological overview covers the period between 1 October 2023 and 26 February 2024 and is currently provisional, with the number of cases for the most recent months likely to increase as more suspected cases undergo confirmatory testing.

This data release coincides with the launch of UKHSA’s Childhood Immunisations national marketing campaign.

Epidemiological updates will be continue to be published every Thursday.

Thursday 22 February 2024

The latest number of laboratory confirmed measles cases in England have been published in an updated epidemiological overview  by UKHSA.

Since the last update a week ago, a further 60 laboratory confirmed measles cases have been confirmed in England. This brings the total number of cases confirmed since 1 October 2023 to 581.

Although the outbreak in the West Midlands initially drove the increase in cases, clusters of cases in other regions have continued to increase in the past week.

In the 4 weeks since 22 January 2024, there have been 169 laboratory confirmed measles cases. The West Midlands accounted for the majority of these (47%, 79 of 169), mostly in Birmingham, although case numbers in that region appear to be stabilising. 

14% (23 of 169) of cases have been in London, 14% (23 of 169) in the North West, 11% in the East Midlands (18 of 169) and 10% (16 of 169) in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Since 1 October in England there have been 581 laboratory confirmed measles cases, 17 cases were reported in October, 42 in November, 159 in December 2023, 266 in January and 97 so far in February 2024. 66% (381 of 581) of these cases have been in the West Midlands, 14% (83 of 581) in London and 7% (43 of 581) in Yorkshire and The Humber. The remaining cases were reported in other regions of England.

The majority (379 of 581, 65%) of these cases are in children under the age of 10 and 27% (154 of 581) in young people and adults over the age of 15.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said:

As expected, due to worryingly low MMR vaccine uptake in some areas across the country, we are now starting to see clusters of cases in other regions. We’re urging parents to protect their children from this serious illness with the MMR vaccine before it spreads further.  

Parents are already coming forward to take up the offer of the MMR vaccine for their children, but 100s of thousands of unvaccinated children are at risk of serious illness or life-long complications. The disease spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in schools and nurseries, however measles is completely preventable with vaccination.

Parents should check their child’s Red Book now to ensure that children are fully up to date with both their MMR jabs and all their routine vaccines. Get in touch with your GP practice to catch up on any that have been missed, or if you’re unsure. Respond as soon as possible if the NHS is in touch for your child to catch up.

The data published in this epidemiological overview covers the period between 1 October 2023 and 19 February 2024 and is currently provisional, with the number of cases for the most recent months likely to increase as more suspected cases undergo confirmatory testing. Updates will be published every Thursday.

Thursday 15 February 2024

The latest number of laboratory confirmed measles cases in England have been published in an updated epidemiological overview  by UKHSA.

Since the last update a week ago, a further 56 laboratory confirmed measles cases have been confirmed in England, compared to 118 cases confirmed in the previous two weeks. This brings the total number of cases confirmed since 1 October 2023 to 521.

Although the initial outbreak in the West Midlands has driven the increase in cases, we are now starting to see clusters of cases in other regions.

In the 4 weeks since 15 January 2024, there have been 166 laboratory confirmed measles cases. The West Midlands accounted for the majority of these (55%, 91 of 166), mostly in Birmingham, although case numbers in that region appear to be stabilising. 

12% (20 of 166) of cases have been in London, 10% (17 of 166) in the North West, 10% in Yorkshire and the Humber (16 of 166) and 9% (15 of 166) in the East Midlands. 

Since 1 October in England there have been 521 laboratory confirmed measles cases, 17 cases were reported in October, 42 in November, 160 in December 2023, 252 in January and 50 so far in February 2024. 69 % (358 of 521) of these cases have been in the West Midlands, 14 % (71 of 521) in London and 7 % (37 of 521) in Yorkshire and The Humber. The remaining cases were reported in other regions of England.

The majority (343 of 521, 66 %) of these cases are in children under the age of 10 and 25% (133 of 521) in young people and adults over the age of 15.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said:

As expected, due to worryingly low MMR vaccine uptake in some areas across the country, we are now starting to see clusters of cases in other regions.

While parents are coming forward to take up the offer of the MMR vaccine for their children, there are still 100s of thousands of children who remain unprotected and therefore remain at risk of serious complications or life-long disability.

But measles is completely preventable with vaccination. I strongly urge parents to take up the offer of the MMR vaccine now to make sure their child is protected.

Measles spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in nurseries and schools. People in certain groups, including babies, pregnant women, and people with weakened immunity, are at increased risk of complications from measles.

The data published in this epidemiological overview covers the period between 1 October 2023 and 13 February 2024 and is currently provisional, with the number of cases for the most recent months likely to increase as more suspected cases undergo confirmatory testing. Updates will be published every Thursday.

Thursday 8 February, 2024

The latest number of laboratory confirmed measles cases in England have been published in an updated epidemiological overview published by UKHSA.

Since the last update a week ago, a further 118 laboratory confirmed measles cases have been confirmed in England, bringing the total number of cases confirmed since 1 October 2023 to 465.

A disproportionately high rate continues to be seen in the West Midlands, with a sharp rise in case numbers over the last 6 weeks, mainly driven by cases in Birmingham.

In England, 17 cases were reported in October, 42 in November, 161 in December, 240 in January 2024 and 5 in February. 71% (329 of 465) of these cases have been in the West Midlands, 13% (62 of 465) in London and 7% (32 of 465) in Yorkshire and The Humber. The remaining cases were reported in other regions of England.

The majority (306 of 465, 66%) of these cases are in children under the age of 10 and 25% (115 of 465) in young people and adults over the age of 15.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said:

The measles outbreak in the West Midlands continues to be a concern. MMR vaccine uptake has been falling over the last decade with 1 out of 10 children starting school in England not protected. Measles is highly infectious and there is a real risk it will spread to other areas.

Parents should be aware that measles is a nasty illness for most children and sadly for some can be very serious and life changing, but it is completely preventable.

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your children. I strongly urge parents to take up the offer as soon as possible and protect their child now.

The data published in this epidemiological overview covers the period between 1 October 2023 and 6 February 2024 and is currently provisional, with the number of cases for the most recent months likely to increase as more suspected cases undergo confirmatory testing. Updates will be published every Thursday.

Tuesday 30 January 2024

The latest number of laboratory confirmed measles cases in England have been published by the UKHSA in an updated epidemiological overview.

From 1 October 2023, there have been 347 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in England, with 127 of these cases confirmed in January 2024.

75% (260 of 347) of these cases have been in the West Midlands, 13% (46 of 347) in London and 7% (24 of 347) in Yorkshire and The Humber.

The majority (233 of 347, 67%) of these cases are in children under the age of 10 and 24% (85 of 347) in young people and adults over the age of 15.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA Consultant Epidemiologist, said:

The ongoing measles outbreak in the West Midlands remains a concern. MMR vaccine coverage has been falling for the last decade with 1 out of 10 children starting school in England not protected and so there is a real risk that this outbreak could spread to other towns and cities.

Measles is a nasty illness for most children and for some can be serious, but it is completely preventable. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your children. If you or your child are not up to date with your two doses of MMR vaccine please contact your GP to catch-up now.

The data published in this epidemiological overview covers the dates between 1 October, 2023 and 23 January, 2024 and is currently provisional. Updates will be published every Thursday going forward.