London mother urges vaccination after child dies from measles

London mother urges vaccination after child dies from measles

A West London mother has called for other parents to rethink their decisions regarding vaccinations after news surfaced of a child dying from measles in Liverpool.

Olivia*, 56, decided nearly two decades ago not to vaccinate her eldest son with the MMR jab. She made the same choice for her twins four years later. She described the decision as instinctive at the time, stating it did not feel right to inject her babies with a live vaccine.

Olivia said she was influenced by a trusted friend who was passionate about homeopathy and natural health, as well as arguments regarding the vested interests of the pharmaceutical industry. She also noted that she was affected by the claims of Andrew Wakefield, whose paper in The Lancet suggested a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Although The Lancet retracted the paper in 2010, Olivia said the controversy made her wary, particularly as she knew other parents in West London dealing with autism diagnoses.

Throughout her children's upbringing, Olivia kept her decision private. She noted that her children attended local state schools and that neither teachers nor other parents ever questioned her. She recalled that doctors did not challenge her, though she was occasionally asked if her children were up to date with their jabs during A&E visits for unrelated injuries.

Olivia stated that she is not a militant anti-vaxxer and that her family received Covid vaccinations during the pandemic due to fear of the new virus. However, she said she experienced anxiety and regret when her eldest son went to university. She attempted to arrange vaccinations through her GP at that time, but the practice never responded.

Following the reports of a child's death from measles, Olivia expressed uncertainty about her past choices. She now plans to talk to her 19-year-old son and her 14-year-old twins about getting the vaccinations.

The Risks of Low Vaccination Rates

Medical experts warn that measles remains a significant threat due to gaps in vaccine coverage. Prof Helen Bedford, a professor of children’s health at University College London, stated that while two doses of the MMR vaccine provide about 98 per cent protection, the UK is not meeting the necessary uptake targets.

According to Prof Bedford, 95 per cent uptake of two doses is required, but in England, only 84 per cent of five-year-olds have received both. In certain areas, including London and Liverpool, the uptake is much lower. Furthermore, statistics from 2021-2022 indicate that in London, one in five children are not inoculated by age three.

Prof Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading, explained that measles is very contagious and can be catastrophic if it reaches children who are already unwell.

Dr Connor Bamford of Queen’s University Belfast added that the death of a child is not unexpected because the virus has not been eradicated and cases are increasing in North America and Europe. Dr Bamford noted that the last young person to die from measles in the UK before the current news was reported in 2024. He also highlighted a 2023 case where a child died from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a fatal complication that occurs years after an initial measles infection. In 2023, two adults also died from the disease.

Dr Bamford noted that some individuals are more vulnerable to severe infection, including those who are immunosuppressed due to cancer treatments, who may lose immunity even if they were previously vaccinated.

Guidance for Parents

Health professionals emphasize that the only way to stop the spread of measles is through vaccination. Prof Bedford advised parents who are unsure of their child's vaccination status to check the red book or contact their GP practice. She stated that it is never too late to be vaccinated even as an adult and encouraged those with concerns to speak with health visitors, practice nurses, or GPs.