HUNDREDS of children in Batley, Dewsbury and Spen are still at risk of catching one of the most infectious diseases known – measles.
They are not protected against this potentially fatal disease because they have not had the recommended measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
All of these diseases could kill a small child or result in severe disability. If a pregnant woman ca
tches rubella (often known as German measles) it could lead to the death of the baby she is carrying.
The vaccine is given in two doses, the first at 13 months and the second at three-and-a-half to five years old, as a pre-school booster.
Staff at Kirklees Primary Care Trust say almost 600 children in these areas have no protection at all and a further 395 have had the first injection but not the second.
Beverley Williamson, from the PCT Community Immunisation Team, said: "We really want to get through to people how important it is for children to be protected."
She and her colleagues know that many parents were scared off the MMR vaccine about six years ago when there was a suggestion that there was a link between MMR and autism/bowel cancer. But in February that was proved wrong and the vaccine has been declared very safe.
The team will be working on one area at a time, contacting families where there is a child who is overdue the vaccine. They will offer them an appointment and if this is not kept they will be sent another. If they fail to attend that appointment their GPs, health visitors and school nurses will be notified and asked to become involved.
The full article contains 284 words and appears in Batley News newspaper.
