Measles Prevention in Govanhill: Keeping yourself and your children safe and healthy
Measles cases are on the rise across the UK — including three confirmed in Govanhill this year. Despite a readily available and effective vaccine, uptake is falling. Why are people opting out, and what does this mean for community health?
Healthcare and medical equipment by Kristine Wook
By Louise Devlin | Photo by @kwook
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection which has had increasing numbers of confirmed cases in the Europe and the UK recently. More specifically, 3 cases have been reported in the Govanhill/ G42 area since the beginning of this year. Despite Measles being a relatively easy infection to avoid, many people are opting out of the prevention treatment and it’s not entirely clear why.
What is Measles?
Measles is a contagious airborne infection which means that it can be passed easily from person to person through coughing, sneezing and breathing.
The NHS website states that the infections usually starts with ‘cold’ like symptoms such as a fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. This can be followed by a red, blotchy rash that spreads across the body, often starting on the face and neck.
The best way to prevent Measles is by the MMR vaccine which is 95% effective.
However, if not treated, Measles can have serious complications. It can cause a physical disability and is fatal in 1 in 5000 cases. Therefore, it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.
Rise in Measles cases
The table below shows the increase in cases year on year.
Source: Public Health Scotland
In 2025, there have been more reported cases in the first few months than the whole of 2024. It is important that action is taken quickly to reduce this trend and stop cases increasing at the same level throughout the rest of the year.
With regards to the cases reported in 2024, Public Health Scotland states that “15 are thought to have been imported to Scotland (with four related to travel within the rest of the UK, and 11 related to travel outwith the UK), and with five further (secondary) cases resulting from contact with three of these imported cases.”
The secondary cases show how easily the infection can spread between individuals. The districts with the highest cases in Scotland in 2024 were: Lothian (8 cases), Fife and Greater Glasgow and Clyde (6 cases).
Decline in MMR vaccines
This sharp increase in cases since last year coincides with a decrease in the uptake of the MMR vaccine in children.
The first dose is normally given to children from age 12 months and the second dose from three years and four months old. Comparing 2024 and 2020’s statistics for the uptake of the vaccine, there was a drop of around 2.1 percent for the first dose and around 3 percent for the second dose.
Parents often refuse to vaccinate their children for several reasons such as “religious reasons, personal beliefs or philosophical reasons and safety concerns”, these were concerns identified by Chephra McKee as far back as 2016 in an academic journal called Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines.
It is important that health professionals recognise these reasons and seek to communicate, educate and work with parents effectively to promote the MMR vaccine.
COVID-19
One of the reasons behind the decline in the uptake of the MMR vaccine is linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the various lockdowns and restricted access to GPs during the COVID-19 period, it is understandable that many young children who were due to have their initial MMR vaccine around this time, suffered from delays and so this affected the routine immunisation statistics.
However, we are now five years further on and the numbers of MMR vaccine uptake should be increasing, not decreasing as professionals are still reporting.
Concerns were raised at the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine as many people believe it was not tested fully given the urgent need to develop a vaccine at the time and so we do not yet know of it’s long term effects. This has prompted some individuals to have similar concerns or rethink the usage of other vaccinations such as the MMR.
Studies show that there are in fact further positives to the MMR vaccination as it has “an improved and faster innate immune response against COVID-19,” according to Lopez-Martin in a study titled ‘Relationship between MMR vaccination and severity of COVID-19 infection: Survey among primary care physicians’ by López-Martín, Esteban, and García-Martínez, published in Medicina Clínica (English Edition) in 2020.
Therefore, the MMR vaccine looks to be beneficial in not only preventing Measles but also against the Coronavirus. Further studies should be carried out to research additional benefits this vaccine could potentially have for treating/preventing other infections too.
Fears surrounding vaccine side effects
Many individuals also have concerns about the MMR vaccine’s causing lifelong side affects such as Autism. This has been debated widely since the vaccine was introduced. However, studies have been thoroughly carried out and this has proven to be a myth.
Dr Aravinda Guntupalli, a senior lecturer in public health, released the following statement recently regarding health concerns about the MMR vaccine: “There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that taking vaccination will impact health. Otherwise, our public health data that is collated in a very clear manner, with an evidence-based approach, would show something. Given that it doesn’t show, there is no need to fear.”
Next steps
The next Public Health Scotland update will be released on Tuesday 3 June and provide information regarding the current number of confirmed Measles cases in Scotland.
If you believe you or any member of your family has Measles, it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible. If you are unsure if you or your child has received the vaccine, you can check with your GP. The vaccine is free on the NHS.
For children aged between 12 months and six years, there is also an ongoing pre-school drop-in clinic every Tuesday at: Govanhill Clinic, Sandyford Building, Calder Street, G42 7PE.