Further measles outbreaks expected in England as cases rise

“Also measles is incredibly contagious, so if you have pockets where lots of people are not immunised, you only need a few cases to cause a pretty significant outbreak. So, unfortunately this is something that is going to occur.”

Helen Bedford, professor of children’s health at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, urged people to get vaccinated.

“About one in 1,000 people with measles develop inflammation of the brain and even in high-income countries like the UK, about one in 5,000 die from the infection,” she said.

“Measles is often more severe in adults. Apart from managing the symptoms of measles, there is no treatment.

“There is no upper age limit for vaccination, so if you or your loved ones have missed out, now is the time to get that protection. We can stop this infection in its tracks with vaccination.”