A measles outbreak on Merseyside has left several children “seriously unwell”, a top NHS hospital has warned as it urged people to get vaccinated to help combat the spread of the disease.
The rise in cases, according to an alert on Alder Hey Children’s Hospital websites, is also driving an increase in patients attending its A&E.
The news comes amid falling coverage of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine across England, with the most recent data showing an 88 per cent coverage compared to a high of 95 per cent in 2016-17.
In an open letter, published on Monday, the trust’s senior directors warned: “Measles is putting children and young people at risk within our communities and our hospital. Several children are seriously unwell and receiving treatment at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
“Measles is on the rise amongst our children. We can all help stop it. Get vaccinated now.”
It warned that the reason there are more cases of the virus is because fewer people are having the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The most recent annual report for 2023-24 showed London had the lowest coverage rates at 81.8 per cent, while the North West had 88.8 per cent. The target set by the World Health Organisation for MMR vaccine coverage is 95 per cent.
The trust said the number of children being treated at Alder Hey hospital over measles is increasing and warned “children in hospital who are very poorly for another reason, are at higher risk of catching the virus.”
In a separate, now-deleted post on its website, Alder Hey said it was experiencing high levels of A&E attendances and that it was “seeing an increase in children presenting with symptoms of measles.”
Measles is highly contagious and, in rare cases, can be fatal. Symptoms usually begin with a runny nose, sneezing, coughing and a high temperature. A measles rash follows a few days after, starting on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
The virus can also cause red, sore eyes.
From 26 May to 29 June, there were 133 cases of measles reported to the UK Health Security Agency.
Last month UK Health Security Agency published a warning over continued outbreaks and the risk of infection on holiday after data showed 420 measles cases were reported in England between January and May 2025.
The majority of those cases, 66 per cent, were in children aged 10 years and under. London had the highest number of cases overall in 2025, with 162. In the four weeks to 5 June, 19 cases, 25 per cent, were reported in the North West and 11 per cent in the West Midlands.
#Measles is highly infectious. One person with measles can infect up to 15 others! The best way to protect against measles and stay safe is to have 2 doses of the MMR vaccine. Here's Consultant in Paediatric Public Health at Alder Hey, Rachel Isba, to tell you more: pic.twitter.com/kS5kUIwRVH
— 🏥 Alder Hey 💙 (@AlderHey) July 6, 2025
Liverpool City Council published a plea on 4 July to parents to get children vaccinated amid a rise in cases across Merseyside. In the warning, Dr Merav Kliner, deputy director for UK Health Security Agency in the North West said: “With declines in childhood vaccine uptake, including MMR, observed in many countries around the world over the last decade, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now seeing the impact of this with large measles outbreaks globally including recently in Europe and England last year.”
“Measles is one of the most highly infectious diseases and spreads rapidly among those who are unvaccinated and is often the canary in the coalmine for vaccine preventable diseases.
“We are concerned that this could be an early warning sign of other possible disease outbreaks both globally and here at home, especially over the summer months as families with unvaccinated children and adults travel to countries where diseases are endemic or outbreaks are occurring.”
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