The key role nurseries can play in protecting children from infections and illness has been underlined by the publication of a study showing that the UK is one of the five worst countries in Europe for measles.
Measles cases are running at a 13-year high in England and Wales, with the Health Protection Agency reporting 1,049 cases between January and October 2008, more than the whole of the previous year. The increase has been linked to the poor take-up of the MMR vaccine.
The Europe-wide research project, published in The Lancet, shows that the worst places for measles are the UK, Romania, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. According to guidance issued by the NHS Choices website, one in 15 children who contracts measles will develop serious complications such as pneumonia, fits, and in rare cases, encephalitis and brain damage. Such complications can lead to death if they are severe.
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