The number of people hospitalised with potentially deadly Victorian diseases has soared to a five-year high.
Experts are warning that anti-vaccine sentiment could see some of these Dickensian illnesses “bounce back” - while parents have been urged to be on the lookout for signs in children as cases continue to rise.
Exclusive figures from the NHS reveal that patients in England were diagnosed with one of 13 Victorian diseases when admitted to hospital on 421,370 occasions in the year to March.