Nature editorial Official advice on vaccination is too often poorly transmitted

Cases of measles rose by more than a third last year in the wake of a slump in uptake of the MMR vaccine following unfounded concerns about its safety. Data from the Health Protection Agency showed there were 1,348 cases in 2008 in England and Wales - a 36 per cent rise on the 990 in 2007. The latest figure underlines the surge in confirmed cases tracked during the course of last year, which saw the 2007 total passed as early as October. It is the highest figure since the monitoring scheme was introduced in 1995 Researchers said last month that hopes of banishing measles from Europe by 2010 may have been dashed by poor vaccination rates in a handful of countries, including Britain. Experts at the Health Protection Agency described the figure as "very worrying", adding that most of the cases had been in children not fully vaccinated with combined MMR and so could have been prevented.

In 2008 there were 1,348 cases of measles in England and Wales, an increase of more than a third on the 990 the previous year. The number of cases, which are predominantly in children under 18, is the highest since the current method of data collecting was introduced in 1995 and the figures were described as "very worrying" by experts. This is the result of low uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for the last decade. Despite research linking the MMR jab to bowel disorders and autism having been debunked and uptake of the vaccine increasing for toddlers, groups of older children who were not immunised remain.

The number of cases of measles rose by more than a third last year, to reach the highest total since records for the illness began. There were 1,348 cases in England and Wales in 2008, a 36 per cent increase on the previous year. Half of the cases (662) of the potentially fatal disease occurred in London, where the MMR vaccination rates are lowest, the Health Protection Agency (HPA), which published the figures, said. It was a record number of measles cases in the capital. Records have been kept since 1995.

Measles cases in England and Wales rose by 36% in 2008, figures show. Confirmed cases increased from 990 in 2007 to 1,348 last year - the highest figure since the monitoring scheme was introduced in 1995. Health Protection Agency experts said most of the cases had been in children not fully vaccinated with combined MMR and so could have been prevented.

There is an "unprecedented increase" in measles cases in England and Wales, experts report. Data from the Health Protection Agency showed there were 1,217 cases of measles from January to November 2008, the highest figure for over a decade. And 75% of the 115 cases diagnosed in November were outside the traditional hotspot of London - in the north west, west midlands and south east. The HPA's Dr Mary Ramsay said the rise was due to "relatively low" MMR uptake.