London Susceptible to Measles Outbreak Given Low Vaccine Rate
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London is susceptible to an outbreak of measles as currently seen in Wales given one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.K. a decade ago, according to a pediatric epidemiologist.
In England, the national coverage for the measles-mumps-rubella combined vaccine dipped to 80 percent in 2003, the lowest rate in more than 10 years. In London, the vaccination rate for the recommended two doses by age 5 was 55 percent that year, one of the lowest rates in the U.K., according to Helen Bedford, a pediatric epidemiologist at University College London.