Little-known signs of world’s most infectious disease EVERYONE must know – as pandemic health chief issues chilling warning

Experts have urged the public to be aware of the signs and symptoms of measles—after one of the UK’s top scientists raised the alarm about falling vaccination rates.

Science minister Lord Vallance—a figurehead of the UK’s Covid pandemic response—warned that parents had forgotten how deadly the infection was.

‘People have forgotten that measles kills. They think, “Oh, measles—that’s a pretty benign disease”. It’s benign because we’ve got vaccination’, Lord Vallance told The Times. 

The 65-year-old added that to see people—most often children—die from entirely preventable disease was ‘tragic’. 

He added: ‘People used to have 12 children because they knew five were going to die. It doesn’t happen like that anymore and vaccination has been a major part of it.’

Measles usually starts with flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough and runny nose and is often followed by a tell-tale rash which starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body. 

But it can trigger more serious and even fatal health complications if it spreads to the lungs or the brain. 

Dubbed ‘the world’s most infectious disease’, it can spread to nine in 10 unvaccinated children in a classroom if just one classmate is carrying the bug. 

Lord Vallance, the Government’s chief scientific adviser during the pandemic, is urging parents to get their children vaccinated against potentially life-threatening childhood diseases 

Cold-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough and a runny or blocked nose, are usually the first signal of measles. A few days later, some people develop small white spots on the inside of their cheeks and the back of their lips

One in five children who catch the disease will be hospitalised, according to estimates, with one in 15 developing life-threatening complications like meningitis or sepsis. 

Lord Vallance was speaking in the wake of a surge in measles in England.

Measles cases soared in 2024 with 2,911 cases confirmed in England—the highest number on record since 2012—and tragically one death recorded. 

Despite surging rates of infections uptake of a vaccine designed to protect children against the disease has fallen. 

Less than 84 per cent of five-year-olds in the nation had both recommended doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab last year. 

Experts have labelled the figures concerning and urged parents to vaccinate their children to avoid the ‘life-long consequences’ of potential measles infection. 

But it’s not just the MMR jab.  

Lord Vallance’s warning comes as data shows none of the 14 childhood vaccines offered on the NHS met the 95 per cent uptake target needed for herd immunity.

Experts labelled the figures as concerning and urged parents to vaccinate their children to avoid the ‘life-long consequences’ of a potential measles infection

Herd immunity is a public health concept where enough people are vaccinated that it stops diseases spreading rampantly through the population as a whole.

Experts have blamed post-pandemic scepticism and vaccine fatigue for the rapidly declining rates, with Vallance also pointing the finger at, now thoroughly debunked, rumours linking the MMR jab to autism for causing ‘huge problems around the world’. 

Now, together with health chiefs, he is urging parents to get their children vaccinated—with two doses of the MMR jab offering up to 99 per cent protection. 

It comes as concerning figures released last week revealed nearly half of children in some parts of England haven’t had both MMR jabs by the time they turn five. 

Data shows just 52.7 per cent of youngsters that age in Kensington and Chelsea in west London are fully vaccinated. 

London remains one of the least vaccinated parts of the country—taking up a staggering 19 of the top 20 spots for low MMR jab uptake. 

Outside of London, Nottingham was worst with just 71.4 per cent of children jabbed. 

Dr Doug Brown, Chief Executive of the British Society for Immunology, told MailOnline: ‘Vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect your child against measles.

‘Measles is a serious disease that can make children very ill and cause life-long consequences.

‘In the 2024 measles outbreak in England, one in five children who contracted the disease needed to be admitted to hospital for treatment.

‘To be fully protected against contracting measles, it is essential that children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine at the correct timepoints.

‘We need to redouble efforts to implement the NHS Vaccine Strategy and engage with communities to ensure that all children receive the MMR vaccine and are protected against these nasty diseases.

‘It is never too late to get vaccinated—if you’re concerned that your child has missed out on a vaccination, contact your GP surgery.’

Lord Vallance became a household name during the Covid pandemic, appearing next to Boris Johnson and his chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty during tense Downing Street briefings to talk the nation through the crisis.

But he also earned the nicknamed ‘Dr Doom’ during the period for being the face of bleak projections from scientists.