PARENTS in East Lancashire are being reassured that a rise in the number of cases of measles is down compared to outbreaks elsewhere in the country.
There were concerns that the increase, from 32 nationwide during the last quarter of 2001 to 126 from January to March this year, was due to the poor take-up of the controversial MMR jab.
But a spokesman for the Public Health Laboratory Service said their figures had risen because of two outbreaks in London, one in Yorkshire and another on the East coast.
He added that figures had remained constant in East Lancs. Local health authorities have advised parents to let children take the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.
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