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A York GP said measles is “very much” on the radar of health professionals across the city as new NHS figures show that cases have risen in the area.

Almost a dozen patients were diagnosed with measles after visiting accident and emergency services at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust last year, the data suggests.

It compares to no hospitalisations for the condition recorded a year earlier.

Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms and develops into a rash. It can cause serious complications if it spreads to the lungs or brain.

The data comes from clinical diagnoses made in A&E, with the true figures varying slightly after patients' samples have been tested.

Across England, attendances ultimately resulting in a measles diagnosis rose five-fold to 2,305 visits last year.

Among ailments with at least 1,000 hospitalisations, this was the largest increase of any condition across England.

Dr David Fair, a GP at the Jorvik Gillygate Practice, told The Press he has not seen any cases of measles in York for the past 10 years.

But he warned that the country could see a “measles epidemic” if MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination rates do not increase to above the World Health Organisation’s 95 per cent target, which they have been below since 2016/17.

“All GPs and primary care doctors are alert to the possibility that we’re seeing a measles epidemic,” Dr Fair said. “We’re preparing for that.”

 

 

 

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