Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what meetings he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) relevant stakeholders on measles.

Following a resurgence of measles in late 2023 and 2024, there has been a decline in the number of cases from mid-July 2024, but small, localised outbreaks of measles are still affecting some regions of the United Kingdom. These ongoing outbreaks are largely due to a gradual decline in the uptake of childhood vaccines over the last decade, including the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which offers protection against measles.

As part of ongoing efforts to reduce outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, and improve uptake across childhood immunisation programmes, the Department is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England. The UKHSA and NHS England are supporting the National Health Service and local authorities to take steps to promote uptake by providing diverse delivery methods, to make getting vaccinated easier. This includes increasing outreach efforts to under-served groups and raising awareness of the dangers of vaccine preventable diseases, such as measles. Paid for marketing campaigns to support uptake of childhood immunisations, including MMR, have been run over the past year, with evaluation showing positive results.

In addition to this, the Department regularly meets with the UKHSA, national and regional NHS colleagues, and devolved administrations, to discuss efforts to reduce measles case numbers. The Department also stays well informed on measles trends, with the UKHSA continuing to closely monitor cases across the UK.