A rapidly spreading measles outbreak in North London has now confirmed 50 cases among children in the borough of Enfield, with additional infections reported in neighbouring Haringey and other parts of the country, prompting urgent calls for parents to ensure their children receive the MMR vaccine.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported that most cases affect unvaccinated children under the age of 10, particularly in schools and nurseries, with some patients requiring hospital treatment due to severe complications from this highly contagious virus.
The latest UKHSA data, released on Thursday and covering cases up to Monday, indicates that the outbreak is primarily driven by persistently low vaccination uptake in Enfield, where only 64.3 percent of five-year-olds received both doses of the MMR vaccine in 2024–2025, well below the recommended 95 percent threshold for herd immunity.
The outbreak, centred in Enfield with 50 confirmed cases, has also seen 10 cases in neighbouring Haringey, contributing to England’s total of 130 laboratory-confirmed measles cases since 1 January 2026. The data underscores ongoing challenges in restoring the nation’s measles elimination status, lost in 2024.
Nationally, 68 percent of recent cases involve children, with 34.6 percent in the five-to-10 age group and 29.2 percent in one-to-four-year-olds, highlighting gaps in immunisation coverage exacerbated by previous declines in routine vaccinations.
The surge follows earlier reports of at least 34 cases in Enfield by early February, with infections confirmed across at least seven schools in Enfield and Haringey. Authorities warned that unvaccinated pupils could face exclusion to prevent further transmission.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the situation as “concerning,” urging parents to check vaccination records and emphasising that “public health isn’t a culture war.”
Local GP practices reported that one in five affected children required hospital care, with all infected individuals lacking full immunisation, reinforcing the critical role of the MMR vaccine in preventing severe outcomes from this preventable disease.
Authorities continue to monitor the outbreak closely, while broader national efforts aim to boost childhood immunisation rates and contain the spread through targeted vaccination campaigns in affected communities.
