Signs Enfield measles outbreak is 'stabilising'

There are signs an outbreak of measles in north London may have stabilised although there could still be more cases, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

There were 71 laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease in Enfield and 13 in Haringey between 1 January and 2 March, according to official data, with most cases being in children under 10.

The most severe cases needing hospital treatment have been linked to unvaccinated patients, according to the North Central London Integrated Care Board.

The UKHSA's Nalini Iyanger told an emergency meeting of the London Assembly: "It's incredibly difficult for me to tell you where the outbreak might go, but we are seeing signs of stabilising."

Measles is highly infectious and can cause serious complications in some people, but can be largely avoided with the correct dose of vaccination.

In England, 195 confirmed cases of measles were recorded in January and February, compared with 156 in the same period in 2025.

This rise has been driven by soaring cases in Enfield borough.

Some 127 cases of measles have been recorded in London, although it is not known where as precise figures are only published for boroughs that have seen 10 more cases.

When questioned about the outbreak by London politicians on Monday, Iyanger said: "We're not at all being complacent.

"The numbers are fairly static in the last couple of weeks, but that's not to say it won't go up for down in the next few days."

Asked if the situation was "contained", she said: "We're doing everything we can to control it but I couldn't say that numbers won't go up."

In late January, Enfield Council wrote to parents in the borough warning them their children could be excluded from school if they were not fully vaccinated against measles.

The letter urged families to check their child's vaccination status to limit spread of the disease.

Just 64.3% of five-year-olds in Enfield received both doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine in 2024-25 - one of the lowest rates in the country, and far below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks.

National uptake was 84.4% that year, down from a high of 88.8% a decade ago.

The UK recently lost its World Health Organization measles elimination status after more than 2,900 cases of measles were confirmed in England in 2024, the highest level for more than a decade.

There were just under 1,000 cases in 2025.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk