Kids pressured into pandemic-style quarantine as infectious illness spreads
As a major measles outbreak rapidly spreads across the UK, particularly among primary school children, nearly 100 cases have already been confirmed this year in certain areas
Children across the UK could be forced to miss several weeks of school (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
Children across the UK could be forced to miss several weeks of school as a major measles outbreak spreads rapidly, with nearly 100 cases already confirmed this year.
According to reports, the confirmed cases are most affecting primary school pupils. In hard-hit areas, parents are being warned that unvaccinated children exposed to the virus may be excluded from school for multiple days.
Health officials are consequently scrambling to contain the highly contagious disease amid plummeting vaccination rates and the country’s loss of its “measles-free” status. Children could be sent home from school and forced to be isolated for three weeks.
Nearly 100 cases have already been confirmed in Enfield, north London, now a major measles hotspot.
Parents have been reportedly warned that unvaccinated pupils who come into contact with the highly infectious virus could be banned from school for 21 days, echoing the strict isolation rules of the Covid pandemic. Enfield has seen more than half of this year’s cases so far, with at least seven schools affected and 34 children infected in the borough alone.
The West Midlands is also struggling, with Birmingham reporting 21 cases, The Sun reported. Health officials are reportedly urging anyone who thinks they might have measles to stay home and avoid contact with babies, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
Experts blame the crisis on plummeting MMR jab rates, with just 64% of five-year-olds in Enfield fully vaccinated, well below the 95% needed for herd immunity. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now stripped the UK of its “measles-free” status, as the virus rips through unprotected children.
Measles is so contagious that one infected person can pass it to up to 20 others, and in Enfield, one in five kids struck down has ended up in hospital. A 2025 report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has revealed that the decline in childhood vaccination rates, including the MMR jab, is largely down to practical hurdles rather than a surge in anti-vax sentiment.
The main reasons for falling uptake are families struggling to access services. Moreover, parents often find it difficult to book appointments that fit around work or childcare, and issues with the NHS, such as patchy reminders and the lack of digital records, make it harder to keep track.
For those living in poverty, even the cost of a bus fare to the GP can be a barrier. The problem is made worse by a sharp drop in health visitors since 2015 and overstretched GPs who have little time to address concerns.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also left its mark, with misinformation about vaccines spilling over into childhood immunisations, routine appointments missed during lockdowns, and a general sense of “vaccine fatigue”. Lingering myths, such as the debunked link between MMR and autism, continue to worry some parents, while others underestimate the risks of diseases like measles because they have become so rare.
Socioeconomic inequalities also play a role, with lower vaccination rates seen in deprived urban areas and among some ethnic minority groups, often due to language barriers, a lack of culturally tailored information, and distrust in the system.
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