‘It’s never too late to catch up’: Hartlepool parents and carers urged to protect their children with MMR vaccine
Parents and carers across Hartlepool are being urged to make sure their children have both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to avoid a potential measles outbreak.
This comes after the UK Health Security Agency issued a warning that without an increased uptake of the MMR vaccine, measles could spread rapidly, potentially leading to an outbreak of the disease.
For former Hartlepool United defender Dan Jones and his wife Scarlett, the danger became real when their seven-month-old daughter Saskia suddenly fell ill.
She developed red and swollen eyes, a fever and was struggling to breathe.
Saskia, who was too young to have had her first vaccine, was rushed to hospital where she needed oxygen and intravenous fluids.
Scarlett said: “It was terrifying. The doctors initially thought that it could be meningitis, and it took a while for them to diagnose measles as they had never seen a case of it before.
“We want all parents to know just how important the MMR vaccine is – not just for their own children but for those who are still too young to have it.”
Saskia’s two-year-old brother, Theo, who had been vaccinated, thankfully did not catch the virus.
Children need two doses of the MMR vaccine – the first around their first birthday and the second at three years and four months old.
Uptake of the second dose of the vaccine has slipped below the national target of 95% however.
Dr Catherine Monaghan, medical director for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in the world and it is entirely preventable through the MMR vaccination.
“Ensuring your children are properly immunised is one of the most important things you can do to protect their health.
“Here in the North East and North Cumbria, uptake of MMR remains high overall, but we can’t be complacent because low rates in some areas could leave room for outbreaks and frightening cases like Saskia’s.
“If your child has missed any doses, it’s never too late to catch up.
“The MMR vaccine is safe, free and offers the best protection for your child.”
Dan, now 30, played 41 matches for Pools between 2013 and 2016.