Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the reinstatement of the UK's WHO measles-free status.

As a first step toward the World Health Organization reinstating the United Kingdom’s measles-free status, Public Health England (PHE) re-convened a multi-stakeholder measles and rubella elimination group, including NHS England, to develop a UK-wide strategy. The purpose of the strategy is to renew stakeholders’ commitment to elimination and re-focus efforts to ensure this will be sustained in the medium- and long-term. A multi-agency implementation board is taking forward the actions of the strategy working with key national and local stakeholders.

NHS England and General Practitioners Committee England also agreed the introduction of a new measles, mumps and rubella catch-up programme for 10 and 11-year olds who have not received a completed course of vaccines via the routine immunisation programme.