Health officials are urgently calling on approximately one million families to ensure their children receive vital vaccinations against potentially deadly childhood diseases.
The NHS has initiated a catch-up campaign targeting parents of children aged two to 11 who have missed their measles jabs.
This push comes after two children in England tragically died from measles this year, amidst a significant rise in cases. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reports 801 measles cases already this year, compared with 959 cases in 2025.
The MMR/V vaccine provides crucial protection against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. General practitioners will be contacting parents of children under six to arrange these essential immunisations.
Those with children aged six to 11 will be contacted via the NHS App, text, email or letter.
NHS director of vaccination Caroline Temmink said: “Measles can be devastating for families, with sometimes tragic consequences, which is why we’re reaching out to parents to help them protect their children.
“These childhood illnesses are serious and some of them in rare cases can be fatal, but they are entirely preventable.
“This is why GPs based in the communities they know so well are contacting families to help overcome any barriers to getting children the protection they need.
“If you are invited to catch up on your child’s vaccinations, please come forward and take up this crucial offer.”
Public health minister Sharon Hodgson added: “Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect children from serious diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
“These illnesses can be devastating, but they are preventable through routine childhood immunisation.
“If you’ve been contacted by the NHS to catch up on your child’s vaccinations, I encourage you to take up this offer as soon as possible. Making sure children are fully vaccinated means we can help keep them healthy, protect vulnerable people in our communities and prevent future outbreaks.”
Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the UK is no longer considered to have eliminated measles.
The announcement in January follows a plateau in vaccination coverage and a surge in cases.
Figures for the first three months of the year show that 84.1 per cent of five-year-olds had received both doses of the MMR vaccine.
NHS England’s catch-up campaign will run until March next year.
