MOST people aged over 30 were vaccinated against the range of illnesses that children used to get half a century ago.

Before they were able to be protected, some parents used to make conscious efforts to ensure their children caught diseases like measles or chicken pox so they could get the experience out of the way while they were young enough.

If they weren't immunised in this way, so the logic went, they might well suffer far more seriously by getting ill later in life with consequent disruption to education or work.

Then things changed.

Scares about possible side effects and the complacency of parents who thought things like mumps had disappeared forever meant large numbers of children remained unprotected.

Now amongst those aged between 16 and 25 a real problem is surfacing.

Already this year 369 cases of mumps have been notified in the region compared with just 52 last year - and that means real pain and the risk of genuinely serious complications.

The Health Protection Agency is highlighting the situation to urge today's parents not to put their children at the same risk in the future.

It is a warning well worth taking heed of.