A new measles outbreak spreading across north London has served as a stark wake-up call for parents like Charlotte Cripps, who chose not to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine. As cases rise, Cripps now openly admits her decision was a mistake that has left her family vulnerable.
The Vaccination Journey That Stalled
Charlotte Cripps followed the NHS childhood vaccination schedule diligently for her two children until they reached their first birthdays. She recalls feeling nervous as her eight-week-old babies received their initial jabs, including the 6-in-1 vaccine, Rotavirus, and MenB vaccine, but she always complied, relieved after each immunisation was recorded in their red medical books.
"I was so grateful they were protected against serious illnesses like polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and meningitis," she says. However, when it came time for the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine at age one, Cripps hesitated. Like many parents, she wanted more information and considered alternative options, such as the single-dose measles jab, leading her to decline the standard NHS offering.
A Dangerous Outbreak Unfolds
Now, with a measles outbreak declared in north east London, Cripps faces the consequences. The UK Health Security Agency has identified 34 laboratory-confirmed cases in Enfield, with reports indicating over 60 suspected cases across seven schools and a nursery. The outbreak is described as "fast spreading," primarily affecting unvaccinated children under ten, some of whom have been hospitalised.
An NHS message from the Ordnance Unity Centre for Health GP surgery warned that one in five hospitalised children had not been fully immunised. Measles, while often clearing up within seven to ten days, can lead to severe complications like pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, and seizures, with about one in fifteen people becoming seriously ill.
Why Vaccination Rates Are Falling
Cripps is not alone in her hesitation. In Enfield, only 64.3 per cent of five-year-olds received both MMR doses in 2024/25, one of the lowest rates in the UK. Nationally, uptake has declined, with first MMR jabs for children in England falling from 91.9 per cent in 2015-16 to 88.9 per cent in 2024-25, and second doses dropping from 88.2 per cent to 83.7 per cent over the same period.
The UK is now among six European and Central Asian countries no longer considered measles-free by the World Health Organization, alongside Spain, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. This decline is partly attributed to growing vaccine scepticism, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Impact of Pandemic Anxiety
Cripps acknowledges that the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines spooked her, despite not being anti-vaccine overall. She attended all her own COVID jab appointments, recognising their life-saving benefits, but felt anxious about administering them to her children, whom she viewed as low-risk. This anxiety mirrored broader trends, with research from the University of Bristol and King's College London showing increased scepticism, particularly among BAME groups.
"I got caught up in some of the fake news madness myself – and I realise now how ridiculous, and dangerous, that was," Cripps admits. She also cites factors like difficulty booking appointments and a lack of consistent GP access, as highlighted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which have made parents more hesitant.
The Search for Alternatives
Cripps initially sought a bespoke approach, booking appointments at BabyJabs in East London for single-dose measles vaccines at £120 per jab. However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) halted the importation of single measles vaccines in the UK last year, and the COVID-19 lockdown forced her to cancel her appointment. She never rescheduled, ultimately forgetting to vaccinate her children.
Now, with the outbreak escalating, Cripps has contacted multiple private clinics, only to find that single-dose jabs are unavailable due to a "national shortage." Her only remaining option is the MMRV vaccine, which includes protection against chickenpox, though she initially worried about "overloading their systems."
A Change of Heart
Faced with the reality of the outbreak, Cripps has decided to act. "I now realise the danger of not vaccinating my children, for them and other children, and understand that I need to just get on with it," she says. She is booking her nine- and seven-year-old daughters for their MMRV jabs, acknowledging that while it might not be perfect, it is better late than never.
Her story underscores the importance of vaccination in protecting not only individual children but also the wider community. As measles continues to spread, Cripps hopes her experience will encourage other hesitant parents to prioritise immunisation and avoid the risks she now confronts.
