Measles Vaccination Advice for Young Adults

Public Health England (PHE) is reminding teenagers and young people to make sure they are vaccinated against measles after new cases were reported across England.

A significant number of cases, linked to music festivals and other large public events, have been reported since June. This follows an increase in measles over the year with 234 cases confirmed between January and June, compared with 54 for the same period last year. There have been 38 suspected measles cases reported in people who attended events in June and July.

Teenagers and young people who are unsure if they have been fully vaccinated should check with their GP and make an appointment to ensure they receive the 2 doses of MMR vaccine required.

Young people planning to attend other festivals over the summer are in particular urged to follow this advice. Measles is extremely infectious and events where people are mixing closely with each other provide the ideal place for the infection to spread. Measles can be more severe in teenagers and adults, with some of the recent cases needing hospital treatment. People are urged to be aware of the symptoms of measles, such as a high fever and rash, and not to attend festivals if they are unwell.