The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the UK has lost its measles-free status, three years after the virus was eliminated.
In the first quarter of 2019, there were 231 confirmed cases of measles in the UK.
The WHO said in the first six months of 2019 reported measles cases globally were almost three times as many as the same time last year. Measles is now endemic in countries including France, Germany and Italy.
While confidence in the UK’s vaccination programme remains high, with uptake exceeding 90 per cent for most childhood immunisations, there has been a small but steady decline in coverage in recent years.
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