Measles eradicated from UK for the first time, says WHO

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New Delhi: UK has achieved the elimination of measles for the first time, says the World Health Organisation.

The news has come just days after England had achieved the target of getting 95% of children to have their fifth dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine by their fifth birthday.

The global health body issues the statement of elimination once a disease has stopped circulating for at least three years.

The vaccination figure has a significance here as it means that the disease can't spread because of the high level of vaccination rates.

During the first six months of 2017, there have been fewer than 100 cases in England.

The announcement does not, however, mean that measles has been wiped out. Last year there were over 500 cases in England, many linked to clusters of cases among young people going to festivals, reports BBC.

But what was important was that the disease was not able to spread more widely.