Children in north London have been told they face exclusion from schools if they are unvaccinated for measles.
Enfield Council said in a letter to parents that unvaccinated children who have come into contact with a student with measles could be excluded for 21 days, in accordance with national guidelines.
There were almost 1,000 cases of measles in the UK last year. In 2024, Britain lost its World Health Organisation measles elimination status after more than 2,000 cases.
Enfield has seen measles cases soar in recent years, particularly compared to the UK average.
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At least 34 children have contracted measles so far in 2025, with a number being admitted to hospital, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
A local GP surgery also said infections had been confirmed in "at least" seven schools in Enfield and neighbouring Haringey.
A local health chief told the BBC: "We are worried because actually, this is a significantly increased number than what we're used to."
While similar outbreaks did "happen in pockets across the country" since 2023, Chief Medical Officer of North Central London Integrated Care Board, Dr Jo Sauvage said: "Certainly in our area we've not seen an increase in number of this degree before."
Children in north London have been told they face exclusion from schools if they are unvaccinated, as health chiefs admit they are 'worried' about the outbreak
|GETTY
Some 60 suspected cases have been confirmed, with the majority of cases within schools and nurseries requiring hospital treatment.
"We've been working closely to contain the infection, the spread, but also increase public knowledge and awareness," Dr Sauvage said.
Another local GP said the outbreak was probably the first time they had seen measles at their surgery in the area in 20 years of practice.
"We've definitely got an issue with children being vaccinated and it certainly needs to improve as we've seen with this outbreak," Dr Ellie Cannon said.
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Enfield Council said in a letter to parents that unvaccinated children who have come into contact with a student with measles could be excluded for 21 days
|GOOGLE MAOS
The outbreak in Enfield comes as the UK makes a further push to improve children's vaccination, with figures consistently dropping.
Less than 65 per cent of five-year-olds in Enfield received both doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubela) vaccine in 2024/25, representing one of the lowest rates in the country, a far cry from the 95 per cent threshold needed to prevent outbreaks.
Nationally, 84.4 per cent are vaccinated. That figure has decreased from a high of 88.8 per cent a decade ago.
"It's really important that children under five are vaccinated," Dr Hilary Jones told GB News on Tuesday.
"Anyone who hasn't been vaccinated - it's never too late."
And while the focus remains on children, Dr Jones insisted: "If you've never been vaccinated, it's still out there and it's increasing.
"You're less likely to come in contact with it if you're 55, but it's still there and you can come down with nasty measles at any age if you haven't been vaccinated and you're exposed to it."
A measles vaccine is free on the NHS and 99 per cent effective in preventing people from the disease.
The vaccine is given in two doses and offered to children from 12 months old, though anyone who has not been vaccinated can get a free jab.
Common symptoms include a high temperature; sore, red and watery eyes; coughing and sneezing. Small white spots may appear inside the mouth, and a blotchy red or brown rash usually appears after a few days.
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