Measles outbreak could see unvaccinated pupils excluded from schools in north London

Parents in north London are being warned that unvaccinated children may be barred from school for 21 days as health officials battle a fast-spreading measles outbreak.

The warning, issued by Enfield Council and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), follows a surge in cases that has primarily affected children under the age of 10. As of mid-February 2026, authorities have confirmed at least 34 laboratory-verified cases in Enfield alone, with more than 60 suspected cases reported across seven schools and a nursery in the Enfield and Haringey areas.

⚠️ School Exclusion and "Close Contacts"

In a letter sent to parents on 22 January 2026, Enfield’s Director of Public Health, Dudu Sher-Arami, stated that any child identified as a "close contact" of a confirmed measles case who has not been fully vaccinated (two doses of the MMR jab) could be excluded from school for 21 days.

This measure is based on national health guidelines designed to stop the spread of the virus, which is one of the most contagious respiratory diseases in the world. Officials are particularly concerned because one in five children infected during this local outbreak has required hospital treatment—and all of those hospitalised were unimmunised.

📉 Critical Drop in Vaccination Rates

The outbreak has been fueled by a sharp decline in vaccine uptake. Health experts recommend a 95% vaccination rate to achieve "herd immunity" and prevent outbreaks, but current figures are far lower:

Enfield: Only 64.3% of five-year-olds have received both MMR doses—one of the lowest rates in the UK.
National Trend: UK uptake for both doses among five-year-olds fell to 84.4% in 2024/25, the lowest level since the late 1980s.
WHO Status: Due to the persistent rise in cases—which reached nearly 3,000 in 2024 and over 1,000 in 2025—the World Health Organization (WHO) recently stripped the UK of its "measles elimination" status.

🏥 What Parents Should Do

Local GPs, including Dr Ellie Cannon, have noted that many parents are "vaccine hesitant" rather than resistant, often due to difficulties in booking appointments or concerns about side effects. To combat this, the NHS has launched a "Stay Strong, Get Vaccinated" campaign and set up temporary catch-up clinics in schools and nurseries across north London.

Common Measles Symptoms to Watch For:

High temperature and a runny nose/cough.
Sore, red, watery eyes.
Small white spots inside the mouth.
A blotchy red or brown rash that starts on the face/behind ears before spreading (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin).

If you suspect your child has measles, you should call your GP or NHS 111 before visiting a clinic to avoid infecting others in the waiting room.