29/10/2013 - Permalink

NHS England welcomes local success in MMR catch-up campaign

Related topics: Health

News from our partners NHS England: Shropshire and Staffordshire area team 

NHS England’s Shropshire and Staffordshire Area Team has welcomed the progress made in the MMR catch-up campaign in the two counties.

The NHS is offering all children up to the age of 18 a free MMR ‘catch-up’ vaccination if they missed having it, or have only received one dose.

Across Shropshire (including Telford and Wrekin) and Staffordshire (including Stoke-on-Trent), 94.2% of 10- to 16-year-olds had already received at least one dose of the vaccine before the end of September 2013.

If you’ve received a letter from your GP, or your child’s school, it’s not too late to take up the offer of a free vaccination.

The combined MMR vaccination is the best way to protect your child from getting measles, mumps and rubella.

Measles, mumps and rubella are very common, highly-infectious, conditions.  In some cases they can lead to serious, or even fatal, complications. They can also result in pregnancy complications that affect unborn babies or lead to miscarriage.

Children need two doses of the vaccine to ensure they’re fully protected.  The first is normally given to babies within a month of their first birthday.  The second injection of the vaccine is then given to children between the ages of three and five, before they start primary school.

Neil Adams, Consultant in Public Health for NHS England in Shropshire and Staffordshire, said:

“The combined vaccination has been shown to be safe and effective, and is the best way of preventing measles, mumps and rubella.

“We’re really pleased by the progress that the local NHS has made in the catch-up campaign so far.  However, there are still some children who haven’t been vaccinated, or have only received one dose.

“We want to remind parents in Shropshire and Staffordshire that they can still protect their children against these potentially dangerous conditions.”

Further information

  • NHS England (formerly known as the NHS Commissioning Board) is the new body which leads the NHS in England.  Its main aim is to improve the health outcomes for people in England, and it will set the overall direction and priorities for the NHS as a whole.
  • For more information about the MMR catch-up campaign being offered to under 18s, visit: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/04April/Pages/New-MMR-catch-up-campaign-one-million-children-targeted.aspx. 
  • You should be contacted by your GP if your child is part of the MMR catch-up programme.  However, if you know or suspect your child has not been vaccinated against MMR, speak to your GP.