Measles signs and symptoms, is there an outbreak in the UK and can you catch measles if you are vaccinated?
Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications 🚨
- A child has died at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles.
- Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications.
- The MMR vaccination can protect you from catching measles.
- Vaccination rates in the UK is below the 95% recommended threshold.
A child has died at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. Concern is growing about the number of cases of measles in the UK and the current MMR vaccination rates which are below the 95% recommended threshold needed for herd immunity.
In a statement following the death, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “This is tragic news and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the child who sadly died.
“We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death.
“There is an urgent need to address falling immunisation rates. Nationally, only 84 per cent of children in England receive the first dose of the MMR vaccine by age two, and just 88.8 per cent receive both doses by age five—below the 95 per cent threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to achieve herd immunity.”
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection, the virus spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can have serious health consequences, especially for young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles often begins as cold-like symptoms including a high temperature, a blocked or runny nose, sneezing and a cough. Small white spots may also appear inside the cheeks and back of lips, according to the NHS.
What is a measles rash?
The measles rash usually appears a few days after developing the cold-like symptoms, brown or red in appearance, it starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
Is there a measles outbreak in the UK?
There have been 529 confirmed measles cases so far in England in 2025, with 68 per cent of cases occurring in children under the age of 10-years-old.
Of these cases, 233 have been in London, 64 in the East of England and 64 in the North West. With 84 out of 152 upper tier local authorities (UTLAs) reporting at least one confirmed measles case since January 2025.
In 2024, there were 2,911 confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded annually, since 2012. This spike of cases was initially driven by a measles outbreak in Birmingham and London.
Can you catch measles if you are vaccinated?
If you are fully vaccinated from measles you may be able to catch the virus, but it is rare. Vaccination is the main form of protection we have against catching the illness and plays an important role in stopping its spread.
Dr Connor Bamford, Virologist, Queen’s University Belfast, explained: “Measles is a vaccine preventable illness and so we need more people vaccinated against the virus (two doses of MMR, which also protects against other viruses).
“The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely measles will spread due to herd immunity. To reach herd immunity we need >95% vaccine coverage but on average the UK has less than 85% and there are pockets around the country with even lower levels. We need to encourage more vaccination.”
You can find out more about what measles is, symptoms of measles, how to spot a measles rash and access the MMR vaccine at NHS.UK.