A measles outbreak in north London has raised concerns over low MMR vaccination rates in the capital, with only 71.3% of children fully vaccinated by age five, according to latest figures. Kensington and Chelsea, Hackney, and Hammersmith and Fulham have the lowest uptake, with just over half of children receiving both doses.
Enfield, where 34 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported, has a vaccination rate of 64.2%. More than 60 suspected cases have been linked to seven schools and a nursery. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed the outbreak has led to hospitalisations among unvaccinated children under 10.
Experts attribute the low uptake to vaccine scepticism among wealthy and middle-class Londoners, partly driven by alternative medicine. Dr Vanessa Saliba of UKHSA urged parents to catch up on missed doses, warning that measles can cause severe complications and death.
Enfield Council's Alev Cazimoglu noted that measles is six times more infectious than Covid-19 and stressed that vaccination is the only prevention. The NHS has warned of a fast-spreading outbreak, with one in five infected children hospitalised.
