NINETY one cases of measles, including 10 locally, have been confirmed across Lancashire and Cumbria.

And with just six laboratory-diagnosed incidences in the whole of 2011, health protection experts are urging parents to ensure their children are vaccinated.

Lab tests have confirmed seven cases in Blackburn with Darwen, two in Ribble Valley and one in Pendle so far this year.

Dr Ken Lamden, a Health Protection Agency consultant, said: “There’s a lot of measles around at present.

“It’s a highly infectious disease that can have serious consequences for some people and anyone who isn’t fully vaccinated is liable to be vulnerable to it.”

MMR inoculations, given at 13 months and 40 months, can protect against measles, mumps and rubella.

Seventy six measles notifications have been sent to the HPA, from across East Lancashire, including 23 in Blackburn with Darwen and 18 in Rossendale, but not all were confirmed cases.