In Monday’s email update to education settings from the DfE, the department included the following information about measles outbreaks:
“There have been recent localised outbreaks of measles centred around the West Midlands. There is a risk of further outbreaks in other areas unless urgent action is taken to increase Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination take up in areas with low MMR vaccine rates.
“Measles spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in nurseries and schools. The best protection against measles for children and adults is to get both doses of the MMR vaccine. It is never too late to have these vaccinations.
“The following UKHSA guidance is available on GOV.UK:
- Health protection in children and young people settings, including education – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Managing outbreaks and incidents – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
“The NHS also has the following advice for parents on measles:
“DfE has published an Education Hub blog with guidance on measles and the MMR vaccine for parents, nurseries and schools.”
The advice in the UKHSA guidance documents, according to the Association of School and College Leaders, includes excluding the infectious person for four days, advising vulnerable people who may have come into contact with the infectious person to seek medical advice, and letting your local health protection team (HPT) know that you have a case of measles. In some circumstances, HPTs may advise people who have come into contact with the infected individual, and who may be more susceptible to measles, to stay away from school.
For confirmed cases, schools should continue to use usual register codes for absence due to illness. If a child needs to isolate following public health advice, the most appropriate code is likely to be an absence authorised by the school (code C).
Given the importance of reducing the spread of measles and minimising this outbreak, it is essential that, if there is a confirmed case of the virus in your school or college, you contact your local HPT for advice.
