Analysis by the children's charity Unicef shows that more than half a million British children have been not given the measles vaccine. These findings come as the boss of NHS England said measles cases in England had quadrupled in one year. Public Health England says that while the overall risk to the public is low, there is a danger that unimmunised people could catch the disease while outbreaks continue in Europe.
I wish I could say that Croydon Council was doing its bit to halt this dangerous situation - but it's not.
For vaccinations against both measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Croydon is down at the bottom of national league tables. This matters, because unless a threshold is met we risk an epidemic. Those most at risk are people who cannot themselves be vaccinated because of their compromised immune systems.
The threshold varies for different diseases but to prevent an epidemic we need above 95% immunity for a highly communicable disease like measles. Some argue that we should be aiming for 100%. In Croydon in 2017/18 only just over two thirds, a mere 67% of eligible children, received the required two doses of MMR vaccine in the recommended time frame.
Things are getting worse rather than better. Last year this figure was 73% and the year before that it was 75%.
It’s not just MMR, HPV vaccinations, which were highlighted in a recent bbc article, are also at rock bottom levels in Croydon. Nationally the target of immunising 80% of girls is being met but as with MMR vaccinations, Croydon is down at the bottom of league table.
For those born between 1st September 2003 and 31st August 2004 Croydon is the third worst out of more than one hundred and fifty local authorities for girls who had not even received one, let alone the required two HPV vaccinations. For the most recent cohort, those girls born between 1st September 2004 and 31st August 2005, none, yes zero, had received the required two vaccinations. More than one in five had not even received one.
Despite all the evidence and repeated questioning by Croydon Conservative Councillors, Councillor Jane Avis, the Labour Cabinet Member for Families, Health & Social Care and the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Louisa Woodley have failed to do anything about it.
The Council could do more to keep our most vulnerable residents, and our children, safe. But they are choosing not to. They and our Labour MP should be ashamed of themselves.
