There have been several reported outbreaks of measles across the UK of late and health officials in Derbyshire are attempting to educate parents about how the measles vaccination can help prevent the disease.
At present, 93% of five year old children in the region have been vaccinated against measles, but the focus is on identifying those older children between the ages of 10 and 14 who may have missed out on the immunisation programme when they were younger.
Elaine Michel, the Director of Public Health for Derbyshire, spoke about the appeal, saying:
“Measles is an extremely serious but completely preventable disease, so it is reassuring that the vast majority of parents in Derbyshire have been making sure their children are immunised.”
She went on to say:
“We have an excellent record in Derbyshire with a very low number of people being ill with measles. We want that to continue so I would urge parents to check their children have had the MMR vaccination and if not, urgently ensure they get at least one dose from their GP.”
The NHS often runs vaccination awareness campaigns using material that has been created through flyer and poster printing. Chesterfield and Derbyshire's NHS organisations will soon be asked to put forward their own Plans for increasing awareness and uptake of the measles vaccination scheme as part of a national initiative, which may include using these methods of communication.Get a Free Quote for Plans