News and events

Parents are being reminded of the importance of keeping up to date with their child’s vaccinations as part of a new national information campaign.

The campaign launches amid news of significant outbreaks of measles in north London, where to date, 34 children in the borough of Enfield have contracted measles so far this year.

Routine childhood immunisations are free on the NHS and protect children against diseases that can make them very unwell and even put them in hospital. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) estimates that childhood vaccinations prevent around 5,000 deaths and more than 228,000 hospital admissions in England every year.

Illnesses like measles are serious and spread very easily between children who are not vaccinated. In January 2026, the NHS introduced protection against chickenpox into the childhood vaccination programme – with the MMRV vaccine now protecting children against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

If you are a parent of young children, or have young children in your families, please ensure they have been vaccinated with all the free routine vaccinations on offer to them.

Most can take place at a GP surgery, but for any that have been missed, please contact our East of England Commmunity and School-Aged Immunisation Service. Have your child’s red book handy and bring it along to any vaccination appointments.