GP surgeries in Stone will be writing to parents of teenagers over the next few weeks to offer the MMR vaccination as part of a national catch-up programme.
The public health department at Staffordshire County Council is urging parents to look out for the letters and take action if they need to. The Department of Health programme aims to prevent a measles outbreak in the county by vaccinating as many 10 to 16-year-olds as possible who have not had all of the MMR jabs, in time for the next school year in September.
Although there is currently no outbreak in Staffordshire, action is needed now to reduce the risk. By taking precautionary measures and arranging vaccinations, parents can protect their children and the wider community from the potentially serious effects of measles.
Dr Alison Teale from Staffordshire County Council’s Public Health team said: “Over the next few weeks, GPs will be sending letters to the parents of young people who haven’t been fully vaccinated.
“We are urging parents to look out for and read the letter as the vaccinations are really important. Many young people missed out on the jab when concern about MMR, based on evidence which has now been discredited, was at its highest. Public confidence in the MMR jab has returned, but many older children who missed out on the jabs remain unprotected from measles. The majority of these children are now in secondary school where the ability for the infection to spread rapidly is high.
“It is therefore important that parents and teenagers understand the risks and get advice on how to get vaccinated if they haven’t received two doses of MMR. GPs will invite young people for the immunisation within their practice. Local schools will also be playing an active role in encouraging their pupils to be fully vaccinated.”
More information on the Public Health England website HERE
