Glastonbury Health Centre has stepped up its efforts in response to the national measles outbreak.

Lead Practice Nurse, Hannah Newton is urging everyone, regardless of age, to contact the health centre for any queries related to measles and vaccination.

"Anyone who has not received two doses of the MMR vaccine should contact us," she said.

There were 1,603 suspected cases of measles in England and Wales in 2023, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) - a sharp rise from 735 cases in 2022 and 360 in 2021.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says there was an "alarming" 30-fold increase in measles cases across Europe in 2023. More than 30,000 people were infected, compared to 941 during the whole of 2022.

Due to the nature of the live vaccinations, they cannot be administered to individuals with severe immunodeficiency syndromes, significant immunosuppression, or pregnant women.

"This is why vaccination is so important," Hannah said. "By as many people as possible who can be vaccinated getting vaccinated, we protect those vulnerable members of our society who cannot receive the vaccine."

NHS Digital data shows that Somerset's vaccination rate is below the World Health Organisation's target for herd immunity. The 2021-22 figures reveal only 91.1% of children in Somerset were fully vaccinated by their fifth birthday. This is a concern given that measles can lead to hospitalisation and, in rare cases, death, particularly in vulnerable groups like babies, pregnant women, and people with weakened immunity.

Child health experts say some parents underestimated the seriousness of measles because it had largely been eradicated.

In addition, many routine health appointments were missed during the Covid pandemic.

There are also still people who wrongly believe the MMR jab is linked to autism. Some young adults who are not vaccinated today missed out when they were children because those fears were prevalent among new parents at the time.

"We understand that a proportion of our parents and patients have concerns around vaccination in general, or specific concerns around the MMR vaccine," Hannah said. "It's really important to me that our patients know that we are here to help and to answer any concerns or questions they may have. I'm passionate about ensuring that whatever decision is made about vaccination, the patient has made that decision having had access to balanced, evidence-based information.

"Some parents, such as all of those with children too young to be vaccinated or with health problems such as leukaemia who cannot be given live vaccines, and their child can only be protected if vaccination uptake is high in all other children."

The health centre encourages patients unsure about their vaccination status to get in touch to check their vaccination history, or use the NHS App to check their records.

In line with the national drive, the health centre focuses on vaccinating children aged 6-11, but the centre also offers walk-in vaccinations for patients of all ages. Additionally, selected age groups will receive text invites for a special Saturday pop-up clinic, starting with 16-30-year-olds.

For more information or to discuss any concerns, patients are encouraged to visit the health centre, call, or use the askmyGP service.

Hannah recommends these resources for people looking for more information about vaccination:

• The Oxford Vaccine Knowledge Project
• Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR): use of combined vaccine instead of single vaccines