The UK has lost its elimiation status, as outbreaks of the disease rise
The UK has lost its measles elimination status(Image: Getty Images)
A killer disease once eliminated in the UK has returned, and a Yorkshire city has been named as one of the worst affected.
The UK has lost its measles elimination status after the World Health Organisation (WHO) stripped it due to the disease circulating continuously in the country for more than a year. This status was first granted in 2017, but was lost two-years-later, and regained again in 2021, although this was thought to be due to social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Outbreaks began in 2023 and worsened in 2024. In England, there were 2,911 laboratory confirmed cases of measles in 2024, the highest number since 2012.
While cases have fallen since their peak in 2024, they remain high, and, since January 1, 2025, there have been 957 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England, with many of these being unvaccinated children under the age of 10. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the WHO said the virus had re-established endemic transmission in the UK, meaning it is constantly present in the country.
Leeds has been named as one hotspot, with at least 108 confirmed cases in the last three years, making it one of the worst places in the country for the disease. You can use the map below to find out about the situation in your area.
The worst place in the country for the disease is Birmingham, with 364 case in 2024, and 52 last year. Since 2023, there have been a total of 534 laboratory confirmed cases.
Several London boroughs have also had large outbreaks in the last three years, with GPs seeing 178 confirmed cases in Lambeth (all during the 2024 outbreak), 164 in Wandsworth, including 12 last year, and 152 in Hackney, the majority in 2025. There have also been 124 confirmed cases in the last three years in Leicester, 102 in Hertfordshire, and 100 in Bristol.
Meanwhile, vaccination rates have dropped to their lowest level in a decade. As of last summer, 91.8 percent of five-year-olds in England had received one dose of the MMR jab (measles, mumps and rubella), and 83.7 percent were protected by both doses of the vaccine.
WHO says a 95 per cent vaccine coverage is needed to achieve “herd immunity”. But in some parts of the country, vaccination rates were much lower. In Leeds, the vaccination rate for five-year-olds was just 79.5 percent.
In Birmingham, the centre of the 2024 outbreak, 75.5 percent of five-year-olds had received both MMR doses. In Hackney, which had the highest number of cases in 2025, a total of 133, just 58.3 percent of children had received both jabs by their fifth birthday.
From this year, the MMR jab has been replaced by the MMRV vaccine, which offers the same protection as MMR but also covers chickenpox.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Infections can return quickly when childhood vaccine uptake falls; measles elimination is only possible if all eligible children receive two MMRV doses before school.
“Older children and adults who missed vaccination must be caught up. The NHS is making vaccination easier, including offering the second MMRV dose earlier at a new 18-month appointment to boost uptake and support elimination goals.”
The key symptoms of measles include a high fever, coughing, sneezing, red and sore watery eyes, and a rash that usually appears after the initial symptoms.
Measles usually starts to get better after a week. However, it can lead to serious problems if it spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or brain. Babies and people with weakened immune systems are more at risk from measles.
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