Outbreaks of measles

Public Health England (PHE) has issued a press release highlighting recent measles outbreaks that are linked to ongoing large outbreaks in Europe, with Romania, Italy and Germany being the worst affected countries.

PHE calls on anyone travelling to Romania, Italy and Germany this Christmas to ensure they are up to date with their MMR jab

Measles is highly infectious and can lead to serious complications, particularly in immunosuppressed individuals and young infants. It is also more severe in pregnancy, and increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or preterm delivery.

Members of the Romanian community and unimmunised individuals travelling to Romania, Italy and Germany are at particularly high risk of acquiring measles. Experience from recent outbreaks shows that, despite living in the UK for a number of years, many individuals infected with measles were unvaccinated, and that families are often not registered with a GP practice.

PHE is asking health professionals to note the following:
Individuals with suspected or known measles:

should be isolated immediately when attending health care settings to reduce the risk of other patients being exposed
recent travel to countries with ongoing measles outbreaks like Romania, Italy and Germany increases the likelihood of a measles diagnosis
all suspected measles cases should be promptly notified by phone to the local Health Protection Team (HPT) to facilitate timely public health action

MMR vaccine:

children should receive their two scheduled doses of MMR vaccine on time at the ages of 12 months and 3 years and 4 months
the MMR vaccine can be given from six months of age before travel to a high risk country
patients over the age of three years and four months who do not have two recorded doses of MMR vaccine should be caught up opportunistically. There is no upper age limit to offering MMR vaccine.
new entrants from abroad and newly registered patients should have their immunisation history checked and missing doses caught up
postnatal women should have their MMR status checked and offered any outstanding doses
all health professionals should make sure they are fully protected against measles, mumps and rubella

Under-vaccinated communities:
Health professionals who work with under-vaccinated communities should collaborate with local partners to raise awareness about measles with those most at risk and ensure unregistered populations can access immunisation services.

Measles resources

Measles resources including national guidelines for health professionals and free to order posters and leaflets for patients are :

National guidelines

PHE National Measles Guidelines. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-measles-guidelines
PHE Guidance for measles post-exposure prophylaxis. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-post-exposure-prophylaxis
PHE Measles guidance on international travel and travel by air, available at:

Free copies of PHE leaflets and posters can be ordered through the Health and Social Care Orderline: https://www.orderline.dh.gov.uk/ecom_dh/public/contact.jsf Alternatively, you can call 0300 123 1003.

Think measles leaflet – product code 3205760
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/think-measles-patient-leaflet-for-young-people
Think measles poster – product code 3205852
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/think-measles-poster-about-measles-in-young-people
Call ahead measles poster – product code 3207737 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/think-measles-poster-for-young-people
Pregnancy leaflet – product code 2903655
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pregnancy-how-to-help-protect-you-and-your-baby
Have you had your MMR flyer (for mums who have just given birth) Product code:3325595
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mmr-vaccination-have-you-had-your-mmr
MMR leaflet – product code: 3219250
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mmr-for-all-general-leaflet
Measles EIW poster – product code: 2900430 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-dont-let-your-child-catch-it-poster

Please share PHE measles outbreaks letter

PHE – Duncan Selbie’s Friday Message 15 December 2017

Short weekly update from the CEO of Public Health England (PHE), including:

PHE commissioned Metro Dynamics to carry out a review of the inclusive growth opportunities for mayors and they will be working with each mayoral team in the coming months to see where they can complement and add value to the input of local public health teams.
launch of PHE’s ‘Protect against STIs’ sexual health campaign, the first national sexual health campaign in eight years.
Surveillance is a core function for PHE and ensures that the right information is available at the right time to inform public health policy and practice. PHE has published their overall approach to surveillance, emphasising its continuing importance across all their work, and describing a framework for how they will develop our surveillance capability, for both infectious and non-communicable diseases.
PHE has been given planning permission to create their world class science campus and headquarters in Harlow, Essex. This is a massive public investment in public health science in the UK.

Duncan Selbie's Friday message: 15 December 2017

PHE – Duncan Selbie’s Friday Message 8 December 2017

Short weekly update from the CEO of Public Health England (PHE), including:

Liver disease and the 2nd Atlas of Variation in Risk Factors and Healthcare for Liver Disease, which is a rich data source showing a wide variation of premature mortality rates across England.
keeping active is an important part of staying healthy. This week Sport England announced pilots in 12 geographies to identify better ways to address inequalities and break down barriers that stop people getting active.
International work including PHE’s National Infection Service being contracted to support the Government of Angola to improve their epidemiological surveillance and capacity.
the latest edition of PHE’s professional resource Health Matters, this time focusing on productive healthy ageing and musculoskeletal health.
Submission of PHE’s evidence to the Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology on e-cigarettes. This covers their safety, effectiveness as a stop smoking tool, patterns of use among adults and young people, and the regulations guiding their safety, promotion and accessibility.

Duncan Selbie's Friday message: 8 December 2017

PHE: Measles outbreak awareness resources

Public Health England has recently published new posters and leaflets for use by health professionals and community engagement groups to raise awareness of measles.

Posters and leaflets includes information on vaccination and symptoms of measles. These are available for download only from Gov.uk.

Go to Gov.uk to download posters and leaflets

PHE – Duncan Selbie’s Friday Message 24 November 2017

Short weekly update from the CEO of Public Health England (PHE), including:

publication of a peer review of PHE, in its 5th year, by the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) – an international benchmarking exercise
speaking at Food Matters Live, the premier annual event on food and drink – on progress against the Childhood Obesity Plan, particularly on sugar reduction
the celebration of 100 years of public health marketing, from the first wartime welfare campaign in 1917, through the ages post-war, the years spent in fear of AIDS and the more recent age of aspiration for better health for everyone. This historical and future perspective was curated into an exhibition, which you can find online.
PHE’s marketing team won the communications category at the Civil Service Awards for their winter campaign Stay well this Winter.
London CCGs and boroughs have come together with PHE to develop a digital means for people with concerns about, for example, sleep and anxiety to get access to trustworthy information, peer support and where necessary, access to services. This programme is called Good Thinking.
last week seven local authority areas were selected to take part in a randomised controlled trial of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for people dependent on drugs and/or alcohol in community treatment services. The objective is to test whether this intensive approach is an effective way to support those people who are dealing with long-term addiction issues into employment and back into productive lives.

Duncan Selbie's Friday message: 24 November 2017

PHE – Duncan Selbie’s Friday Message 17 November 2017

Short weekly update from the CEO of Public Health England (PHE), including:

The Supreme Court ruling unanimously in favour of the Scottish Government’s intention to set a minimum unit price for the sale of alcohol, which when implemented will be a world first.
a ground-breaking devolution deal was signed by the Mayor of London, Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt, London Councils, NHS England, Public Health England and wider health and care leaders – the London Devolution Memorandum of Understanding is the largest of its kind in England and localising decision-making to London will bring many benefits, as well as providing new opportunities to act early in preventing some of the city’s biggest health challenges.
visits to Porton and Colindale, PHE’s national science campuses for infectious diseases
Publication of two independent reviews, both commissioned by PHE, one reviewing PHE’s data collections and the other assessed PHE’s readiness to make the most of digital thinking and technology
announcement of twelve successful projects supported by PHE’s HIV Innovation Prevention Fund
PHE published two reports which highlight the progress made in England and on achieving the United Nations AIDS targets in London, declines in HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men and increased HIV testing
launch of the latest version of Health Matters, PHE’s monthly professional resource, this time focusing on preventing infections and reducing antimicrobial resistance.

Duncan Selbie's Friday message: 17 November 2017

The Nana Quawson Public Health Leadership award

NOW RECRUITING: Public Health England Chief Nurse Directorate – The Nana Quawson Public Health Leadership award of up to £11,000

This award remembers the dedication, passion and drive of Nana Quawson (1972-2016), a valued colleague and school nurse who sadly passed away last year.

Are you a current registered health visitor or school nurse, professional leader or future leader for public health nurses working with children, young people and families? Would you like to take your career as a public health nurse (SCPHN, registered on part 3 NMC) to the next level and be supported to realize your true potential? Are you passionate about making a difference to the lives of children, young people and families through public health?

The Chief Nursing Directorate at PHE and the Florence Nightingale Foundation are offering a bespoke scholarship to an individual from a registered health visitor or school nurse background who wants to become a strong leader with the skills and self-confidence to contribute positively and make a tangible difference to the outcomes for children, young people and families.

Recipients of the PHE Chief Nursing Directorate – Nana Quawson Award for Public Health (CYP) Leadership Scholarship must be registered on part 3 of the NMC register.

Applications close by Thursday 30 November

How to apply

Please download an application form from the Florence Nightingale Foundation website (see link below) and then send your application by Thursday 30 November with all parts completed and required references and letter of support by email to The Foundation: [email protected]

For further details and how to apply

PHE – Duncan Selbie’s Friday Message 10 November 2017

Short weekly update from the CEO of Public Health England (PHE), including:

this week NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens spoke about the need for further investment to keep the NHS improving, to meet increasing and changing demand and to remain the leading health service in the world – PHE has been intensely focusing on making the economic case for prevention, from their work on cardiovascular disease prevention to publishing a Health Economics Evidence Resource and several return-on-investment tools.
a community public involvement event in Gloucester, involving six local councils, the local and national NHS and over 100 voluntary and third sector organisations. The message that rang clear throughout the day was how important and valuable small, locally based voluntary and third sector organisations are and how much they support the people they reach, which is often the most vulnerable.
the publication of drug and alcohol treatment figures for 2016, showing that services are performing well and largely meeting the needs of those with drug misuse problems. The return on investment for people in treatment is substantial and on drugs alone, for every £1 invested on treatment there is a £2.50 benefit to society.
PHE’s Genomic Services and Development Unit, which started generating whole genome sequences for bacteria and viruses and have now registered over 100,000, has been offered accreditation by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), one of the first UK laboratories to achieve this for whole genome sequencing of bacteria and viruses.

Duncan Selbie's Friday message: 10 November 2017

PHE – Duncan Selbie’s Friday Message 3 November 2017

Short weekly update from the CEO of Public Health England (PHE), including:

handover of three PHE laboratories in Sierra Leone, all refurbished by PHE to UK standards and funded by UK Aid
PHE’s National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service(NCARDRS) collects data on rare diseases to improve surveillance and patient care, inform healthcare planning and support research
PHE hosted Making It Happen, a stakeholder event for the drug treatment sector to discuss two significant new publications: the 2017 Drug Strategy and the Drug Misuse and Dependence UK Clinical Guidelines
PHE report which shows the work of PHE in supporting the UK in implementing the Sendai Framework including its obligations under the International Health Regulations
PHE has been recently nominated for the ‘Business in the Community Best Employers for Race Award 2017’

Duncan Selbie's Friday message: 3 November 2017

PHE Guidance: Child vision screening

Vision screening for 4 to 5 year old children is recommended by the UK National Screening Committee and is the responsibility of local authorities as part of the Healthy Child Programme.

Public Heath England has developed a set of national resources to support the commissioning and delivery of high quality, consistent services.

These include: