In England, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital is currently grappling with a major outbreak of measles. More than 50 children have been hospitalized in the past month. Vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio remain a public health threat. And with childhood vaccine hesitancy—or simply outright refusal—on the rise in the U.K., U.S. and Europe, the problem is likely to worsen.
The measles outbreaks in the U.S., including most recently in Philadelphia, are worrisome. But the situation appears to be more severe in England. There, cases have been surging. According to new figures released by the U.K. Health Security Agency there were 1,603 suspected cases of measles in 2023, which represents an increase from 735 in 2022 and 360 in 2021.
The spike in cases is fueled by vaccine hesitancy towards the measles, mumps and rubella shot. According to National Health Service England, in December 2022 the MMR vaccination rate in the Birmingham region was around 83%. To optimally protect the population, a rate of at least 95% is critical.