Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to the news that a fall in the uptake of the MMR jab means the UK has now lost its measles free status, said:

“It’s a shocking indictment that the UK has now lost its measles free status. Labour has long warned of falling vaccination rates – now at a six-year low, having fallen in consecutive years – and missing the World Health Organisation target, while the Tories continued to cut public health budgets, watch health visitor numbers fall and pile more pressure on overstretched family doctors.

“We need also serious action on falling vaccination rates including an enforced duty of care for social media to prevent anti-vaccination propaganda.”