Unvaccinated pupils could be excluded from school as measles hits north London

"Parents in north London have been told their children could be excluded from school if they are not fully vaccinated against measles amid an outbreak of the highly-contagious disease. Unvaccinated pupils identified as close contacts of people with measles could be excluded for 21 days in accordance with national guidelines, Enfield Council said in a letter to all parents in the borough in late January."

"A local health chief meanwhile told the BBC: "We are worried because actually, this is a significantly increased number than what we're used to." Asking unvaccinated, close contacts of measles cases to stay off school is fairly standard practice when there are local outbreaks. A local GP surgery said infections had been confirmed in "at least" seven schools in Enfield and neighbouring Haringey."

"Dr Jo Sauvage, the chief medical officer of North Central London Integrated Care Board told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that outbreaks did "happen in pockets across the country". But she said: "Certainly in our area we've not seen an increase in number of this degree before." She said some 60 suspected cases had been confirmed - with the majority in schools and nurseries and some children requiring hospital treatment, "particularly those who have not been immunised"."

An outbreak of measles in north London has led to guidance that unvaccinated pupils identified as close contacts may be excluded from school for 21 days. Confirmed infections have affected at least seven schools in Enfield and neighbouring Haringey, with around 60 suspected cases concentrated in schools and nurseries and some children requiring hospital treatment, particularly those who are unvaccinated. Local health officials report a significant rise in cases compared with usual levels and note measles outbreaks have occurred in pockets since late 2023. England recorded over 2,900 cases in 2024 and nearly 1,000 in 2025, prompting loss of WHO elimination status. Public health teams are working to contain spread and increase awareness.

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