Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to reduce the incidence of measles.

In 2017, the World Health Organization confirmed that the United Kingdom had eliminated measles; measles is no longer endemic to the UK. Public Health England has convened a multi-stakeholder group to develop a UK-wide strategy to ensure elimination is sustained.

The strategy seeks to action four areas: achieving and sustaining very high coverage (more than or equal to 95%) of two doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine through the routine childhood immunisation programme; providing opportunities for MMR catch-up to all population groups at risk for and susceptible to measles and/or rubella; rigorous case investigation and laboratory confirmation of suspected sporadic cases and outbreaks and improving the availability and use of high-quality, evidence-based information for health professionals and the public on measles and MMR.