London parents have been urged by health officials to have their children vaccinated against measles, following a major outbreak in the borough of Enfield.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been 96 confirmed cases of the life-threatening virus in England, the majority of which affecting children under 10.
The north London borough of Enfield has experienced the highest number of infections, 34 confirmed cases, but the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned this is likely to be a gross underestimate.
Experts have blamed the low uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) across the Capital for the outbreak. In Enfield, where the current outbreak is located, only around 62 per cent of children under-5 have been given the two-dose vaccine, according to the most recent official figures.
However, the Daily Mail's interactive map can reveal that there are five London boroughs with even lower MMR vaccination rates than Enfield, which experts say could create a 'perfect storm', allowing the virus to spread across the city.
Those boroughs include Hammersmith and Fulham, Hackney, Westminster, and Haringey.
The affluent borough of Kensington and Chelsea has the lowest rates in London, with only 51 per cent of under-5s vaccinated.
Experts have blamed the rising popularity of alternative medicine - where patients avoid pharmaceutical drugs in favour of natural remedies - for vaccine-scepticism amongst wealthy and middle-class Londoners.
More than 60 suspected cases of measles are said to have been reported by seven schools and a nursery in Enfield
'I feel dismayed that parents are rejecting these safe, efficient vaccines that we've used for years,' says Dr Nisa Aslam, a London-based NHS GP.
'In my whole career, I have never seen such an upsurge of infections and it's really worrying.
'And I don't think it's necessarily because of logistical challenges - there are parents who are actively refusing vaccines, whether that's due to a fear of alleged side-effects, a mistrust in the government and pharmaceutical companies, or complacency.'
She added: 'We deliver vaccination programmes really efficiently and because there is an ample window as well as a catch up programme, there is opportunity and access to get your child vaccinated. It's about what you prioritise.'
'But not getting your child vaccinated is putting thousands at risk, We need to act as soon as possible to be protected.'
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing.
Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash.
In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis.
In July 2024, a child died in Liverpool - where 72 per cent of under-5s have had their two measles jabs - after contracting the virus amid the country's worst measles outbreak on record, with 3,681 confirmed cases.
Other areas in the UK with low uptake of the vaccine include Nottingham (71 per cent) Birmingham (75 per cent) and Manchester (75 per cent).
Modelling by the UKHSA suggests up to 160,000 people could be infected if there was an outbreak in London.
Currently, there is no cure for measles; just the MMR vaccine which was updated last year to include chickenpox known medically as varicella.
But uptake collapsed in the late 1990s and early 2000s after a now discredited 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield falsely linked the jab to autism.
Whilst the vaccination has since been proven to be safe and effective, these claims - exacerbated by skepticism over the Covid jabs - have persisted among some minority ethnic communities contributing to vaccine hesitancy Dr Aslam says.
Measles, which mostly produces flu-like symptoms and the tell-tale rash, can cause very serious and even fatal health complications if it spreads to the lungs or the brain.
The virus is spread through coughs and sneezes, and by touching contaminated surfaces - which is partly why so many school children are affected.
Early symptoms include fever, headache, runny or blocked nose, and coughing. The tell-tale rash will usually appear a few days later, starting on the face before spreading to the rest of the body.
One in five infected children will be hospitalised, with around one in fifteen developing severe complications such as meningitis or sepsis.
The NHS continues to urge families to come forward for their vaccines, and is now offering the second dose earlier - bringing it forward to an 18-month appointment.