Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREE See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:11 BST, 11 June 2026 | Updated: 12:51 BST, 11 June 2026
Two children have died in measles outbreaks so far this year, with more than 700 confirmed cases, health officials have said.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that one child died from 'acute measles' and the other was linked to the 'late effects of measles'. It's understood to be the first time that two children have died in England and Wales in a single year since 2018.It comes as measles continues to circulate in many parts of the country, with 736 cases so far this year compared with 959 cases for the whole of 2025.Many of the cases have been linked to outbreaks in London and the West Midlands, with 106 confirmed in the last two weeks alone.The UKHSA said the majority of cases were among unvaccinated children aged 10 and under, amid concern over falling vaccination rates.Earlier this year the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the UK is no longer considered to have eliminated measles.The announcement in January follows a plateau in vaccination coverage and a surge in cases. Measles causes a distinctive rash as pictured in the above stock image. In severe cases, it can also lead to pneumonia and brain swelling (stock image)
