Unvaccinated children could be barred from London schools amid measles outbreak | UK | News

Parents in north London have been warned their children could be expelled from school if they are not fully vaccinated against measles as local health authorities respond to a surge in the highly contagious disease.

Enfield Council sent a letter to families in late January stating that students who have not received the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and who have been identified as close contact with confirmed cases of measles may be asked to remain away from school for 21 days in line with national public health guidance.

According to the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA), at least 34 children have contracted measles in Enfield this year, with some requiring hospital treatment. Local health officials expressed concern about the increase in cases, explaining that the numbers were significantly higher than normal.

Chief medical officer of the North Central London Integrated Care Board, Dr. “Outbreaks are occurring in pockets across the country, but certainly in our area we have never seen an increase of this magnitude before,” Jo Sauvage said. he told the BBC.

He added that about 60 suspected cases had been confirmed, mostly in schools and daycares, and that hospitalizations mainly affected unvaccinated children.

A local GP practice has reported infections at at least seven schools in Enfield and neighboring Haringey. Another North London GP, ​​Dr. Ellie Cannon said the outbreak was the first time she had seen measles in her 20-year career and warned low vaccination rates were a major factor.

Official figures reveal just 64.3% of five-year-olds in Enfield have received both doses of the MMR vaccine in 2024/25; This is one of the lowest rates in the country and well below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.

*** Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us your Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***

National uptake was 84.4% that year; Compared to ten years ago, this rate was 88.8%.

The council has urged parents to check their children’s vaccination status and is running free catch-up clinics to ensure any missed doses are administered.

Officials emphasized that the MMR vaccine is safe and that most parents who delay vaccination are not “decliners” but rather “vaccine hesitant,” often due to difficulty in scheduling an appointment or uncertainty about side effects.

Measles is spread through coughing, sneezing and contact with contaminated surfaces. Early symptoms include high fever, sore and watery eyes, coughing and sneezing, followed by small whiteheads inside the mouth, and a splotchy red or brown rash that usually starts behind the ears and on the face before spreading.

The rash may be more difficult to detect on brown and black skin.

The current outbreak follows a national decline in vaccination rates and the UK’s recent loss of World Health Organization measles elimination status.

More than 2,900 cases confirmed in England in 2024; this is the highest level in more than a decade, with nearly 1,000 new cases reported in 2025.

Health officials emphasize that early vaccination and prompt reporting of suspected cases remain the most effective ways to protect children and limit the spread of the disease.