Cases of measles in the UK have reached their highest levels in 18 years, health officials have warned.
Extensive outbreaks in Merseyside and in Sussex and Surrey have contributed to the problem, according to the Health Protection Agency.
In total some 2,016 cases were confirmed last year – the highest level since 1994, the agency said.
The outbreak has been blamed on the slump in vaccination rates following the bogus scare of side-effects.
By the end of November, European Union countries had reported just over 7,000 cases with five countries being responsible for most of them, including the UK together with Romania, Spain, Italy and France.
Dr Mary Ramsay, of the agency, said: "Coverage of MMR is now at historically high levels but measles is highly infectious and can spread easily among communities that are poorly vaccinated, and can affect anyone who is susceptible, including toddlers in whom vaccination has been delayed.
"Older children who were not vaccinated at the routine age, who may now be teenagers, are at particular risk of becoming exposed, while at school for example."
She added: "Measles is a highly infectious disease so the only way to prevent outbreaks is to make sure the UK has good uptake of the MMR vaccine, and that when cases are reported, immediate public health action is taken to target unvaccinated individuals in the vicinity as soon as possible."
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