Pupils could be excluded from school for three weeks if they come into contact with someone with measles as authorities battle to contain an outbreak. Health leaders have told parents that unvaccinated children would be forced to isolate at home if they are exposed to the highly contagious disease. The drastic measures resemble those imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic when people were forced to self-isolate and children were made to learn remotely. Just 64.3 per cent of five-year-olds in Enfield received both doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubela) vaccine in 2024/25. 'But with vaccination rates falling and the UK losing its measles elimination status, it's vital we act now.

Source: Daily Mail February 16, 2026 22:14 UTC