Hundreds of Brits could die if measles vaccination rates stay low, experts warn

Babies under 12 months would make a significant proportion of the projected 480 deaths over the next two decades, according to modelling by Imperial College London.

Professor Katharina Hauck of the college's Jameel Institute said their model predicts two major outbreaks with a staggering 390,000 extra cases if vaccination rates remain at around 90 per cent.

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Current rates for both doses of the vaccine needed to provide protection are currently around 85 per cent.

A child died and others were left "seriously ill" after an outbreak of the disease at the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool earlier this year.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said declining vaccination rates are "extremely concerning" and urged the Government to act urgently to reverse the trend.

The costs of hospitalisation and productivity losses in the modelled outbreaks could reach up to £290 million over a two-decade period, according to the research.

The researchers say their models represent a worst-case scenario as they assume no increased uptake in vaccinations in the coming years and that rates remain low even after an outbreak.

It also assumes that 3 per cent of those unvaccinated are generally against all vaccinations.