Seven years ago the World Health Organisation declared that measles was “eliminated” from Britain. This was an approximation, of course — it meant jumpy public health authorities were able to catch the disease in time when it snuck in at airports or harbours. This seems like a tricky thing to do — measles is highly contagious — but it is just about possible when 95 per cent of the population is vaccinated.
But the virus is back — and specifically, back in London. Our vaccination rates have dropped. Last summer we were warned that tens of thousands of cases could break out in the capital — we’re not there yet, but pockets of the disease have been erupting all winter, and it could get worse.
