Two children have died from measles this year, as England continues to see a rise in cases, according to health officials.
One child died from an active measles infection, while the other died from complications linked to a previous case of the disease.
This is the first time since 2018 that two children have died from measles in the same year in England and Wales.
Measles is still spreading in several parts of the country, with the highest numbers reported in London, eastern England, and the West Midlands.
Over the past two weeks alone, another 106 confirmed cases have been recorded, bringing England’s total for the year to 736. For comparison, there were 959 confirmed cases during all of 2025.
Most of the recent infections have been among unvaccinated children aged 10 and under.
Health officials expressed their sympathy to the families affected and warned that measles is far more serious than many people realize.
While many people recover, the virus can sometimes lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, long-term health problems, and in some cases death.
Authorities are encouraging parents to make sure their children are up to date on their MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.
They also pointed out that anyone who missed their early vaccinations as a child can still get caught up, regardless of age.
The warning comes after growing concern among health experts that too many children are missing routine vaccinations.
Earlier this year, health experts and lawmakers warned that too many kids were missing their vaccines, leaving them at greater risk of catching preventable diseases like measles.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world and can spread quickly among people who are not fully vaccinated.
The problem has become so serious that the World Health Organization announced earlier this year that the UK no longer had measles elimination status, after vaccine uptake stalled and cases started increasing again.
Recent figures show that just under 92% of five-year-olds in England had received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine during the 2024-25 period.
That figure was unchanged from the previous year and marks the lowest coverage level seen in more than a decade.
Officials said the deaths are a tragic reminder that measles is not simply a routine childhood illness.
Experts are urging parents and caregivers to check vaccination records and to catch up on any missed doses – to protect their own children and to help reduce the spread of the disease within the community.
