Birmingham and Solihull measles cases stabilise
She said: "There certainly has been an increase above the baseline – which is zero – and we were worried for a few weeks but it seems to have stabilised out."We still have the same concerns around immunisation rates."Chief executive David Melbourne said: "Ruth [Tennant] – public health director in Solihull – is working with our children's hospital to try and get some of the safe messaging across Birmingham and Solihull about the importance of vaccination for children."We know measles for young people can be tragic so there is some work to do there."
'Avoid misinformation'
The ICB had been urging people to get up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jabs for the past few months.In June, the ICB's chief nursing officer, Helen Kelly, said: "There are lots of myths and misconceptions about the MMR vaccination, but we know it is safe, effective and remains our best protection against a virus which can be life-threatening in the most serious cases."The MMR vaccination is safe for all faiths and cultures, and a pork-free version is available for those who avoid pork products."If you're unsure, I strongly encourage parents to speak to their GP, health visitor or nurse to get accurate information and avoid the risks of misinformation which spreads easily online."This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
The diet that could lower your blood pressure and boost heart health
Your blood pressure could be reduced by following a low-salt diet, according to research - and it's all to do with the types of food you put in your body Adopting a diet centred on reducing salt intake could significantly decrease your blood pressure and risk of heart complications. There are numerous risk factors that can heighten your likelihood of experiencing heart disease at any stage in your life. These include diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, frequent and intense stress, and elevated blood pressure. Thankfully, many of the risk factors linked to an increased risk of heart disease can be mitigated and potentially avoided. For instance, high blood pressure can often be lowered by restricting the amount of salt you consume in your daily diet. Diet to reduce salt and lower blood pressure The Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) diet is centred on consuming and avoiding foods directly associated with higher blood pressure. Moreover, the diet could potentially aid in reducing overall body fat percentage and cholesterol due to its emphasis on certain healthy foods. NHS advice also underscores that excessive salt consumption has been directly tied to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. It further pointed out that it's all too easy for individuals to overconsume salt given the prevalence of packaged foods, meat products, ready meals, restaurants, and takeaways which often contain hefty amounts of salt. On average, adults are advised not to exceed 6g of salt a day - the equivalent of one level teaspoon. This includes salt already present in food before any additional is added during cooking. Common foods eaten in a DASH diet A study from the New England Journal of Medicine involving 412 participants who followed either a typical western diet or the DASH diet found that those adhering to the latter had lower blood pressure. In contrast, those on a typical diet experienced significantly higher blood pressure and sodium levels. The study also emphasised that the long-term health benefits would likely depend on the duration of significant dietary changes. If you're considering the DASH diet, your focus should be on consuming foods low in sodium but rich in essential vitamins and minerals. This could involve eating more: Nuts Beans Seeds Lean poultry Fish Leafy green vegetables Low-fat dairy However, the DASH diet may not be right for everyone and will depend on your unique dietary needs. If you plan on making a significant change to your eating habits, you should first speak to your GP or a healthcare professional.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Children to be taught 'worrying and feeling down' are not mental health conditions
Children will be taught that 'worrying and feeling down' are not mental-health conditions in an attempt to curb Britain's spiralling worklessness crisis. Teachers have been told they must avoid encouraging pupils to self-diagnose 'normal feelings' as more serious problems such as anxiety and depression. The radical change in policy will be issued in new guidance to schools amid escalating concern over the number of young people being signed off sick. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, told The Telegraph: 'For too many children today, their understanding of how to manage their mood and regulate their emotions is coming from social media, rather than their parents, teachers or trained professionals. 'Our new RSHE [relationships, sex and health education] curriculum will equip children to develop grit and resilience from the get-go, helping them understand that feeling a little down or anxious for a while is normal and nothing to worry about.' The Education Secretary said they are also making sure there is access to mental health support in every school and reducing child poverty with more free school meals. The new strategy comes as the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (Neet) has surged to a near-decade high of a million. A report warned last week that a sharp rise in teenagers and young adults on sickness benefits for mental health problems was behind the trend. It has caused concern that teaching children about mental health has led to the every day ups and downs of life becoming over-medicalised. The new guidance says pupils should be taught 'that worrying and feeling down are normal, can affect everyone at different times and are not in themselves a sign of a mental-health condition'. It adds that teachers should tell students how 'managing those feelings can be helped by seeing them as normal' rather than a symptom of a mental illness. Schools are told they should teach youngsters the 'characteristics' of common types of mental ill health, including anxiety and depression. The changes come in new instructions on how to teach RHSE, which were issued last week. Some of the instructions surrounding mental health had been contained in a previous draft of the guidance, which was drawn up by the last Tory government. But Ms Phillipson toughened them up over growing concern about worklessness amongst the young getting worse. In particular she added in the requirement that schools must not teach about mental health in a way that leads to more pupils self-diagnosing with mental conditions. The change to the guidance comes after she pledged that young people would be taught the value of 'grit' to help them deal with life's 'ups and downs'. It comes after a report last year revealed 20-somethings are now more likely to be off work sick than adults in their 40s amid soaring rates of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. Authors say the 'worrying' trend is harming the economy, with the equivalent of 5 per cent of young adults now signed off ill. But one critic argued society is to blame for creating the 'mental health crisis', with doctors handing out diagnoses like 'candy'. Ms Phillipson's changes to the schools guidance are the latest evidence of concern within Downing Street over the growing scale of mental-health claims. This is despite Labour attacking the Tories when it was still in opposition for suggesting that too many people were being signed off with milder conditions Liz Kendall branded their comments 'ignorant' and insisting: 'You are not written off long-term sick because you're feeling a bit bluesy.' But since entering power Labour is now attempting to launch a crackdown on sickness benefits for mental health to get people back into work. No 10 has argued that there is a 'progressive and moral' case for restricting handouts for those who are diagnosed with more mild mental health conditions. The figures come after Work and Pensions Liz Kendall and Keir Starmer capitulated to a backbench rebellion and failed to secure reforms to sickness benefits that would have saved £5billion. Labour's climbdown leaves a bungling hole in the public finances which it is feared Chancellor Rachel Reeves will have to plug with a wealth tax. Shortly after the climbdown, new analysis revealed that living on sickness benefits will soon pay £2,500 a year more than a minimum wage job. Analysis by the Centre for Social Justice found that a UC claimant who is not working and takes the average housing benefit and Personal Independence Payment for ill health will receive £25,000 in 2026-27.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
NHS managers who silence whistleblowers to be banned from senior roles
NHS managers who silence whistleblowers will be banned from taking up other senior health service roles, the Government has announced. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the proposals will ensure those who commit serious misconduct are no longer able to work in senior NHS management positions. Legislation is set to be put forward to Parliament next year to introduce professional standards and regulation of NHS managers. Tens of thousands of clinical and non-clinical managers work in the NHS but there is currently no regulatory framework specifically for managers, as there is for doctors and nurses. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, said the reforms will 'slam the door in the face of unsuitable managers'. Mr Streeting added: 'I'm determined to create a culture of honesty and openness in the NHS where whistleblowers are protected, and that demands tough enforcement. 'If you silence whistleblowers, you will never work in the NHS again. 'We've got to create the conditions where staff are free to come forward and sound the alarm when things go wrong. Protecting the reputation of the NHS should never be put before protecting patient safety. 'Most NHS leaders are doing a fantastic job, but we need to stop the revolving door that allows managers sacked for misconduct or incompetence to be quietly moved to another well-paid role in another part of the NHS.' DHSC said a public consultation launched in November last year received more than 4,900 contributions on ways in which managers and leaders could be regulated. The statutory barring system will be for board-level directors and their direct reports within NHS bodies. Further legislation will set out new statutory powers for the Health and Care Professions Council to disbar NHS leaders in senior roles who have committed serious misconduct. DHSC said separate NHS England professional standards for managers will establish a 'consistent, national set of expectations about NHS management and leadership competency and conduct'. Positive move to weed out poor leadership Tom Kark KC, the author of the Kark Review into the effectiveness of the fit and proper person test within the NHS, said: 'I am pleased that the recommendation made in my report into the application of the NHS fit and proper person test to create a power to disqualify board directors found guilty of serious misconduct is being implemented. 'Along with the ongoing implementation of my other recommendations for improving board competence, this is a positive move to strengthen management in the NHS by weeding out poor leadership. 'This is good news for whistleblowers and those looking for accountability in senior management which has long been lacking.'
