Health officials are urging parents in England to ensure their children are up to date with any missed vaccinations before they return to school. A rise in cases of the highly spreadable measles virus, which can be very serious in some children, is feared when the new term starts. Uptake of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, has improved in many areas since a spate of outbreaks last year - but health experts say there is still ground to make up.
Children can also be protected against other serious diseases, such as whooping cough, meningitis, diptheria and polio. Davina Barrett, from Walsall, was "shocked" how ill her three-month-old son, Ezra, was after catching measles. "The rash spread rapidly and covered his entire body," she said.
"Seeing him struggling to breathe and being hooked up to oxygen was awful. "I had no idea measles could make babies so ill." Ezra was taken to hospital after developing a red, spotty rash.
Within hours, he had breathing difficulties and pneumonia. Very young children are at highest risk of severe illness and lifelong complications from measles. Babies like Ezra are too young to be vaccinated but ensuring slightly older children have had the jab can also protect them, health experts say.
"It only takes one case to get into a school or nursery where many children are unprotected for numbers to suddenly surge," Dr Vanessa Saliba, from the UK Health Security Agency, said. NHS National vaccinations and screening dire.