The Travel Clinic Ltd

. London was the region with the highest number of cases. Measles continues to circulate in the greater London area in 2008. There has been a marked increase in measles cases in Lewisham, south-east London, with 19 confirmed and 63 suspected cases reported between 1 Jan-8 Apr 2008. Vaccine uptake is low in this area with coverage for the Sep 2007 quarter at 64%.

As we have repeatedly warned over the years, due to a poor uptake in the UK of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, many adults who have not had the diseases are at risk. The Department of Health recommends all 18-24 year olds should have a boost and any one older than that should have two doses at least one month apart.

Sadly the Department of Health has only budgeted GPs for the 18-24 age which means the burden of paying for the vaccine rests on adults requesting the vaccine.

This is obviously an issue when traveling to both developed countries where there are outbreaks, such as Austria and Spain and countries where children are rarely vaccinated against these diseases, such as China and Iraq.

We have also an outbreak at present in Cambridge of Varicella (chicken pox) the vaccinations are also available at a £54 each vaccine

Here at The Travel Clinic Ltd Cambridge and Ipswich we charge £35 for each combined vaccine