Measles outbreak confirmed in London

A large measles outbreak, mostly affecting unvaccinated children, has been confirmed in north east London, with some needing to be admitted to hospital.The outbreak has prompted renewed calls to boost uptake of childhood immunisations and the launch of a new government campaign.There have been 96 laboratory confirmed cases of measles in England between 1 January and 9 February 2026, according to the latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).1More than a third of those cases (34 of 96, 35%) have been in the London borough of Enfield, an area with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Only 64.3% of 5 year olds in Enfield had received both doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in 2024-25, according to UKHSA figures published last August.2The majority (74 of 96, 77%) of measles cases confirmed in the UK so far this year were in children aged…