Two children have died from measles in England this year amid continuing outbreaks across the country, health officials have confirmed.

One of the deaths was caused by an acute measles infection, while the second was linked to late complications of the disease. No further details have been released.

The deaths follow a separate fatal case in Liverpool last year, which occurred just days after health officials warned of a sharp rise in children being hospitalised with severe illness linked to measles.

According to the latest figures, there have been 736 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England in the first six months of this year, compared with 956 cases recorded across the whole of 2025.

More than 100 cases have been confirmed in the past two weeks alone, although health officials warned that reporting delays mean the real number may be higher.

The month of May recorded the highest monthly total so far this year, with 182 confirmed cases.

Health authorities say around 60% of infections are in children under 10 years old, with more than half of all cases concentrated in London. However, outbreaks have also been reported in the West Midlands and the East of England.

The UK Health Security Agency said all 85 upper-tier local authority areas in England have reported at least one confirmed case this year, including hotspots in Hertfordshire and Worcestershire.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said her thoughts were with the families affected.

“Measles continues to circulate in many parts of the country and as we have seen it can be very serious and even fatal,” she said.

She urged parents and individuals who have missed vaccinations to get up to date with the MMR vaccine, which is available through GP practices.

“Getting vaccinated also helps protect babies who are too young to be vaccinated and people unable to have the vaccine due to a health condition,” she added.

Health Secretary James Murray said the deaths were a “heartbreaking reminder” that measles is not a harmless childhood illness.

He said the MMR vaccine “remains the best protection we have against this highly infectious disease.”

The UK is experiencing its third consecutive year of high measles activity. In 2024, a record 2,911 cases were confirmed, prompting a public health emergency and leading to the loss of the country’s measles elimination status.

Earlier this year, the government launched a campaign encouraging parents to raise awareness in their communities after outbreaks were reported in schools across north London, including in Enfield and Haringey.

Public health experts have previously warned that declining vaccination uptake is being driven by barriers such as difficulty accessing GP appointments. A report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health described these as “stubborn barriers” contributing to a worrying decline in childhood immunisation rates.

A parliamentary health committee also recently concluded that the government’s vaccination strategy is “a failure” and called for a renewed focus on improving uptake in early childhood. (ILKHA)