The ongoing measles outbreak started in Birmingham but in recent times London has had the most cases. According to British health authorities, the disease is now everywhere in the country.
Measles is extremely contagious and can lead to severe complications, even death. 6-year-old Samuel suffered encephalitis, SSPE, and died shortly afterwards. Now his mother wants to encourage other parents to vaccinate their children.
– Once you have SSPE, there is no cure. The virus attacks the brain and turns it into a mush, says Gemma Larkman-Jones.
Low vaccination rate
According to the World Health Organization WHO, 95 percent of the population must be vaccinated against measles if the spread is to be stopped. In parts of London, only 60 percent of residents have taken the MMR vaccine.
According to the doctors, there are several reasons for the low vaccination rate. During the pandemic, there was full focus on the covid vaccine and many missed taking the MMR vaccine. But it is also about widespread vaccination resistance in some circles and people simply forgetting that measles can be dangerous.
– You can say that the vaccine is a victim of its own success. They have eradicated so many diseases that we forgot how dangerous they can be, says pediatrician Ronny Cheung.
More Victorian diseases spread
British doctors are also raising the alarm that several other Victorian diseases have become more common in Britain. Scurvy and rickets/English sickness are some examples. Both are deficiency diseases caused by poor diet.
Some health experts link the comeback of deficiency diseases to years of economic cuts that have led to increased poverty. Not least the healthcare system NHS has been forced to save big money.
Polio in the sewer
In 2022, poliovirus was found in London’s sewage system for the first time in nearly 40 years. Even then, the health authorities declared a national incident, which led to more people being vaccinated. Today, polio is considered to be under control.