Thousands of children are being offered the MMR vaccine after the number of cases of measles recorded this year reached more than 1,000 for the first time in more than a decade.

Doctors fear that the illness could sweep through the country if children and young teenagers are not vaccinated as a matter of urgency.

The number of cases in England and Wales reached 1,049 cases by October — almost ten times the number recorded in 1996, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said yesterday. The figure for the whole of last year was 990.

Mary Ramsay, an immunisation expert at the agency, attributed the rise to the relatively low take-up of the combined jab for measles, mumps and rubella.

About two thirds of the cases this year have occurred in London, but health officials in the North West are so concerned about local outbreaks that they are beginning a vaccination programme and have written to the parents of 10,534 children in Cheshire identified by their records as having missed the MMR vaccination.Across England, one child in four has not received the suggested two doses of MMR, leaving take-up significantly below the level required to prevent an epidemic. It is estimated that a large outbreak could affect 30,000 to 100,000 children across the country.

There have been 68 reported cases in central and eastern Cheshire and 107 confirmed cases throughout the North West to the end of last month, representing the highest figure outside London.

Vaccination teams will move into 177 primary schools and 33 secondary schools from next Wednesday. But they will not inoculate children without parental consent.

Across Britain, 85 per cent of two-year-olds had the first dose of the triple MMR jab in the past year. To achieve the “herd immunity” that is needed to all but eradicate the illness, 95 per cent of children need to be vaccinated. Only 24 out of 152 primary care trusts recorded take-up rates of more than 90 per cent for at least one dose, and none achieved the 95 per cent mark over the past year.

Explore Health

• Expert Advice

• Health Features

• Mental Health

• Alternative Medicine

• Child Health

• Health Club