PARENTS and carers in Herefordshire are being advised to ensure their children have been given the MMR jab after figures showed one in five were not sully protected against infection.

Figures show one in ten children in the county have not been given their first dose of the vaccine while one in five have not had the second.

Children are usually given the first dose of the vaccination, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, within a month of their first birthday, while the second is normally given between the ages of three and five.

Not having the jab can leave children vulnerable to infection.

Director of public health at Herefordshire Council Professor Rod Thomson said: “Low MMR uptake is a real concern because measles can be a very serious infection.

“Parents should understand the risks associated with the infection, which in severe cases can result in death.”

Public health consultant Dr Arif Mahmood said both doses of the vaccine were needed for children to be fully protected.

“With a significant number of children in Herefordshire not being fully immunised, the threat of an outbreak is a real concern,” he said.

”I would urge parents and carers to check their children’s vaccination records to make sure they are up to date or contact their GP who can advise them on how to make sure their children are fully protected.”