PUBLIC Health England (PHE) West Midlands is also warning that 10,000 five-year-olds in the region may not be fully up-to-date with the 4-in-1 pre-school MMR booster.
Such is the alarm that parents are being called upon to check their child’s Red Book to ensure they are up-to-date with scheduled immunisations. In the UK, dose 1 of the MMR vaccine, which protects against Measles, Mumps and Rubella, is usually given to infants at around 12 months of age.
A second dose is given before school, usually at three years and four months of age, to ensure best protection.
Two doses of MMR in a lifetime are needed for a person to be considered fully protected.
The 4-in-1 pre-school booster is also usually offered at three years and four months and protects against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio.
