Are you in a measles hotspot? Symptoms and the areas with the highest number of measles cases this year

• Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to serious complications and in some cases death.
• Since January 1, there have been 420 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in England.
• The uptake for the MMR is well below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO), 95% target.
• Local outbreaks of measles are continuing across England.

Measles is one of the most highly infectious viral diseases, it spreads rapidly amongst those who are unvaccinated and can have serious consequences, leading to complications and in some cases death.

The measles vaccine was introduced in 1968 and has helped prevent at least 20 million cases and 4,500 deaths, however, according to the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA), there has been a decline in childhood vaccinations in the past decade, well below the WHO 95% target

This means that many thousands of children are left unprotected from measles.

Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said: “Tens of thousands of additional MMR vaccinations were delivered following NHS action last year to protect children against measles, mumps and rubella, and the recent increase in cases seen in England and Europe should act as an important reminder to ensure your child is protected.”

So, where are the measles hotspots? Here are the number of cases in England reported by upper tier local authorities so far for 2025.

What is measles?

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to serious complications in some people and in rare cases even death.

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Is there a measles outbreak?

From autumn 2023 to summer 2024, England experienced the biggest outbreak of measles since 2012. Since the peak last year cases have declined, but there are still local outbreaks, with 420 confirmed measles cases reported since January 1, 2025.

Measles is a notifiable disease, which means healthcare professionals are legally required to inform their local health protection team of any suspected case.

Cases are then confirmed through either local or reference laboratory testing. The case numbers are provisional and may change, as more suspected cases are confirmed through testing or some locally tested cases are discarded after further tests.

Here are the number of cases in England reported by upper tier local authorities, up to and including week beginning May, 26 2025.

The areas with the highest number of measles cases this year:

• Bristol, City of - 47 cases
• Leeds - 29 cases
• Newham - 23 cases
• Essex - 22 cases
• Hertfordshire - 18 cases
• Waltham Forest - 18 cases
• Salford - 15 cases.

What are the symptoms of measles?

Measles typically begins with cold-like symptoms, additional signs can include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and sore throat, white spots inside the mouth and a measles rash.

A measles rash usually starts on the face before spreading to the rest of the body, it appears three to five days after the first signs of measles symptoms and can last for several days.

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