Schools and nurseries across north London are grappling with a fast-spreading measles outbreak, as more than 60 children have been infected since the start of 2026. The surge in cases, confirmed in at least seven schools and one nursery in Enfield and neighbouring Haringey, has left public health officials deeply concerned about the potential for a much larger epidemic across the capital. The situation is so serious that temporary vaccination clinics are being set up in affected schools, and local health leaders are urging parents to ensure their children are fully immunised against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR).
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), laboratory tests confirmed 34 cases in Enfield between January and early February 2026, representing more than a third of the 96 cases reported across England so far this year. The outbreak is not confined to Enfield, with infections spreading into Haringey and fears that the highly contagious virus could take root elsewhere in the city. The West Midlands has also recorded 25 confirmed cases in 2026, accounting for about a quarter of England’s total, showing that the threat is not limited to London.
Health officials are particularly alarmed by the low rates of vaccination in the capital. Dr. Dudu Sher-Arami, Enfield’s director of public health, told The Sunday Times that London has “one of the lowest, if not the lowest, vaccination uptake rates” in the country. This vulnerability is compounded by the fact that measles is one of the most infectious diseases known, with a single infected person able to spread the virus to as many as 18 unvaccinated individuals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a 95% vaccination rate to achieve herd immunity, but London’s rates have fallen as low as 64.3% for both MMR doses among five-year-olds in Enfield, and just 74% in some parts of the city—far below the national target.
“We know that measles has got some very nasty complications. It can cause deafness. It can cause brain damage and one in five children can need hospital treatment,” Dr. Sher-Arami warned. Her concerns are echoed by local GP surgeries, including the NHS Ordnance Unity Centre For Health, which posted a stark message: “During this recent outbreak, one in five children have been hospitalised due to measles and all of them had not been fully immunised. Parents should ensure that their children are up-to-date with all their immunisations.”
The impact on affected families has been severe. Councillor Alev Cazimoglu, Enfield’s cabinet member for health and social care, told BBC News that the outbreak has “mainly affected children and some have required additional care with a short stay in hospital.” She stressed, “Vaccination is the most effective way to protect yourself and your family. We urge everyone who is not fully vaccinated to act now.”
Measles typically begins with cold-like symptoms—high fever, sore, red and watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, and small white spots inside the mouth. A blotchy red or brown rash generally appears a few days later, often starting behind the ears and on the face before spreading. While many children recover, the illness can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, brain inflammation, long-term disability, or even death. Tragically, in July 2024, a child in the UK died after contracting the virus, underscoring the risks posed by declining vaccine coverage.
Dr. Vanessa Saliba of the UKHSA described the current outbreak as “mostly affecting unvaccinated children under 10 in schools and nurseries.” She added, “Measles is a nasty illness for any child, but for some it can lead to long term complications and, tragically, death. But it is so easily preventable with two doses of the MMRV [measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox] vaccine.”
The urgency is heightened by the UK’s recent loss of its measles elimination status. In January 2026, the WHO announced that the UK had officially lost this status after a surge in cases and deaths from the disease. The country had previously been considered to have eliminated measles from 2021 to 2023, but a plateau in vaccination coverage and a sharp rise in cases—3,681 confirmed in 2024, the worst outbreak on record—led to the change. In 2025, over 1,000 cases were recorded, and the trend shows no sign of abating in 2026.
The UKHSA has warned that modelling of a large-scale measles outbreak in London could result in between 40,000 and 160,000 infections, with estimated hospitalisation rates ranging from 20% to 40% depending on age. The agency’s report, “Risk assessment for measles resurgence in the UK,” paints a sobering picture of what could happen if vaccine uptake does not improve quickly.
National immunisation figures are similarly troubling. Across the UK, only 84.4% of children received both MMR doses by age five in 2024-25, down from a high of 88.8% in 2014-15 and well below the 95% target. First-dose MMR uptake at 24 months stood at 88.9%, the lowest since 2009-10. Not a single childhood vaccine in England last year met the threshold needed to ensure diseases cannot spread among youngsters, according to UKHSA data. Dr. Mary Ramsay, director of public health programmes at UKHSA, told The Independent that high vaccine coverage is crucial to regaining elimination status: “We are now having lower levels, but we’re still seeing circulation of measles. So until we stop circulating measles, we’re not going to get back to elimination.”
There is no treatment for measles, but vaccination offers strong protection. The MMR vaccine, which now also covers chickenpox, is free and available to all children in the UK. Health officials are urging parents to check their children’s immunisation status, especially ahead of half-term travel, and to contact their GP or practice nurse if they are unsure. “This can be done by checking the child’s immunisations ‘red book’ or contacting the practice nurse here at the GP practice,” one GP surgery advised.
As health authorities scramble to contain the outbreak, the message is clear: vaccination is the best—and only—defense against measles. With the virus re-established in the UK and vaccination rates at their lowest in more than a decade, the risk to children and vulnerable populations has rarely been higher. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether the outbreak can be contained or if London, and potentially other cities, will face a much larger public health crisis.
For families, the call to action is urgent but simple: check your child’s immunisation records, seek out the free vaccines if any doses are missing, and help protect not just your own loved ones, but the entire community from a disease that should, by now, be a thing of the past.