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 reinstate the UK's World Health Organisation 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 (MMR) catch-up programme for 10 and 11-year olds who have not received a completed course of vaccines via the routine immunisation programme.

In addition, NHS England is running a catch-up programme for those who missed out on MMR vaccination at the scheduled time to get vaccinated. PHE is also running the Value of Vaccines campaign to help share messages and information on vaccination at the following link:

https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/94-value-of-vaccines/overview