OPINION - London's vaccination rates are terrible and measles is on the rise — it's time to act

Seven years ago the World Health Organisation declared that measles was “eliminated” from Britain. This was an approximation, of course — it meant jumpy public health authorities were able to catch the disease in time when it snuck in at airports or harbours. This seems like a tricky thing to do — measles is highly contagious — but it is just about possible when 95 per cent of the population is vaccinated.

But the virus is back — and . Our rates have dropped. Last summer — we’re not there yet, but pockets of the disease have been erupting all winter, and it could get worse.