Measles 2026 Latest Update
The latest public data shows that since 1st January 2026 there have been 158 laboratory confirmed cases of measles report in England, with 66% (104 of 158) of these cases being in London.
Up to and including 16 February 2026, 59 cases have been confirmed in Enfield and 12 cases in neighbouring Haringey1. This has been reported in the national news.
In 2025, there were 959 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England. In 2024, this was 2,911, the highest number of cases recorded annually, since 2012.
On 26th January 2026 the World Health Organization (WHO)2 confirmed that the UK has lost its ‘measles elimination’ status based on data submitted for 2024.
Key messages3
- The best protection against measles for children and adults is to get vaccinated.
- If you think you or your child may have measles, you should ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. Don’t go to the GP or any other healthcare setting without calling ahead first to prevent the further spread of measles.
- Current guidance advises that if your child has been diagnosed with measles by a doctor, they should stay off nursery or school for at least 4 full days from when the rash first appears. They should also avoid close contact with babies and anyone who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system.
- If your child is unvaccinated against measles and is a close contact of a measles case (for instance a sibling), the health protection team may advise that your child should remain off school or nursery for a number of days/weeks to reduce the spread of measles. The number of days will vary depending on the circumstances.
- Recommendation
It is recommended that Members note the approaches and key public messages to manage the measles risk as outlined in this report.
- Context4
What is measles?
Measles infection is caused by a virus, and spreads between people very easily. Once symptoms start, people can become unwell quickly. You can get measles at any age, but it is often young children who catch it.
What are the symptoms of measles?5
Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth. It is unlikely to be measles if you've had both doses of the MMRV or MMR vaccine or had measles before.
How does measles spread?
Measles can be caught through close contact with someone who has measles. This can be in the air when they cough or sneeze, or by touching things that someone who has measles has coughed or sneezed on. Measles is spread very easily in households and in other places where people mix closely together. People are considered infectious from when they first have symptoms (around 4 days before the rash appears) until 4 days after they get the rash.
- Essential public messages to reduce the risk of spreading measles
- Get vaccinated6
Vaccination is safe and highly effective, providing long-lasting protection against measles. Measles vaccination is available as part of two combined vaccines: measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines. Both provide effective protection against measles.
With the introduction of the varicella vaccination programme, children are now given the MMRV vaccine (instead of the MMR vaccine) as part of the NHS vaccination schedule, with doses given at 12 and 18 months. The MMRV vaccine helps protect against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
For those who have not been fully vaccinated, it is never too late to, catch-up for free on the NHS. As it is a live vaccine, it is not suitable for those who are pregnant, have a weakened immune system, or those who have had a serious allergic reaction to any ingredients in the vaccine. Anyone who has not had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine can contact their GP surgery to book an appointment.
Day to day activity7
A person with measles can spread the infection in the 4 days before they develop symptoms such as a rash. Once the rash has appeared they can still spread the infection for another 4 days.
If a health care professional has told someone that they have measles they should stay away from childcare, school or work for at least 4 days from when the rash first appeared. A person can return to normal activities after the 4 days if they feel well and no longer have a temperature.
Personal hygiene
There are things we can do to reduce the risk of spreading or catching measles.8
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water.
- Use tissues when you cough or sneeze and throw them in the bin immediately after using them.
- Open windows and doors to help reduce the risk of measles spreading – only open the top window or use safety catches if you have young children.
- Do not share cutlery, cups, towels, clothes, or bedding.
- Further information
Local Authority
The Croydon Immunisation Steering group chaired by Public Health meets every quarter to move forward immunisations priorities and to improve rates of vaccination uptake in the Borough.
Public Health work with communications and system partners to continue to amplify messaging with the Croydon community on immunisations including MMRV through channels such as the schools newsletter.
Please see below details of the MMRV vaccination programme in Croydon.
Croydon Health Visitor Pathfinder Programme
Croydon is part of national pilot pathfinder programme that enables health visitors to reach families that face barriers to vaccination uptake. The Croydon programme will be live within the coming weeks, and its aim is to boost update of vaccinations, protecting children from preventable diseases.
Catch up clinics
Through February and March, the SWL immunisation service is offering community catch up clinics in Croydon to all students that have missed one or both doses of the vaccine.
Community Pharmacy MECC – MMR
From 13th January a call and recall initiative has been implemented to improve MMR vaccination coverage in patients aged 5-19 years across SWL. Vaccination is offered at the pharmacies for patients that have missed the vaccination.
Training
The SWL immunisation team is also holding training sessions for frontline staff about vaccine hesitancy and MMRV.
Useful links
