COVID-19 vaccinations for young children now expected to start later than previously expected, as UK public health authorities are preparing for a huge surge in cases and deaths, BBC
As thousands of UK children start the next school term by missing out on a routine measles vaccine, they could also be missing out on vaccinations for the COVID-19 coronavirus, the latest figures suggest.
Measles was declared eradicated in the UK in 2000. The UK’s official advice currently is that people are not at risk of developing measles even if they are infected with the virus.
But there have been unconfirmed cases of measles in the UK in recent years. Those cases have been blamed on the lack of routine immunisation against the virus.
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the UK was reported on March 19 and there have been almost 800 cases confirmed in the country, with at least seven deaths. More than 1,400 people have tested positive for coronavirus.
There had been speculation that a child or two would miss out on a routine measles jab, although most British parents and health workers said that their children had been protected from the disease through vaccination.
But there have been unconfirmed reports in the media of children missing out on the vaccine, which is one of the main ways of protecting against the common cold, and some cases of measles and children unvaccinated have even been reported in the UK.
There had been speculation that a child or two would miss out on routine measles vaccination. However, most British parents and health workers said their children had been protected from the disease at a young age, having been vaccinated.
In the past week, news has surfaced that it could be too late for some children to be vaccinated as public health officials, who are already struggling to cope with an expected surge in cases such as the latest reported in London, were considering whether to extend the UK’s vaccination programme by a week.
Vaccinations do not usually need to be extended. However, the
