"UK Declares National Health Incident as Measles Cases Soar: Urgent Call for MMR Vaccinations"

The United Kingdom has declared a national health incident due to a surge in measles cases, with over 1,600 people in England and Wales contracting the disease in 2023. Officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children, as only 85% of children are fully inoculated, well below the recommended 95% coverage for the MMR vaccine. The outbreak is attributed to decreased vaccination rates, particularly in inner-city areas, and the UKHSA has reported 216 confirmed cases in the West Midlands region since last October.