Latest news with #DavidFothergill
Scotsman
17-07-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Measles signs and symptoms: how to spot a measles rash
Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications 🚨 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A child has died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. The MMR vaccination can protect you from catching measles. Vaccination rates in the UK is below the 95% recommended threshold. A child has died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. Concern is growing about the number of cases of measles in the UK and the current MMR vaccination rates which are below the 95% recommended threshold needed for herd immunity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a statement following the death, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: 'This is tragic news and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the child who sadly died. 'We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death. 'There is an urgent need to address falling immunisation rates. Nationally, only 84 per cent of children in England receive the first dose of the MMR vaccine by age two, and just 88.8 per cent receive both doses by age five—below the 95 per cent threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to achieve herd immunity.' What is measles? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection, the virus spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can have serious health consequences, especially for young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the symptoms of measles? Measles often begins as cold-like symptoms including a high temperature, a blocked or runny nose, sneezing and a cough. Small white spots may also appear inside the cheeks and back of lips, according to the NHS. What is a measles rash? The measles rash usually appears a few days after developing the cold-like symptoms, brown or red in appearance, it starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body. Is there a measles outbreak in the UK? There have been 529 confirmed measles cases so far in England in 2025, with 68 per cent of cases occurring in children under the age of 10-years-old. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of these cases, 233 have been in London, 64 in the East of England and 64 in the North West. With 84 out of 152 upper tier local authorities (UTLAs) reporting at least one confirmed measles case since January 2025. In 2024, there were 2,911 confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded annually, since 2012. This spike of cases was initially driven by a measles outbreak in Birmingham and London. Can you catch measles if you are vaccinated? If you are fully vaccinated from measles you may be able to catch the virus, but it is rare. Vaccination is the main form of protection we have against catching the illness and plays an important role in stopping its spread. Dr Connor Bamford, Virologist, Queen's University Belfast, explained: 'Measles is a vaccine preventable illness and so we need more people vaccinated against the virus (two doses of MMR, which also protects against other viruses). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely measles will spread due to herd immunity. To reach herd immunity we need >95% vaccine coverage but on average the UK has less than 85% and there are pockets around the country with even lower levels. We need to encourage more vaccination.' You can find out more about what measles is, symptoms of measles, how to spot a measles rash and access the MMR vaccine at .
Scotsman
17-07-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
Measles signs and symptoms: how to spot a measles rash
Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications 🚨 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A child has died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. The MMR vaccination can protect you from catching measles. Vaccination rates in the UK is below the 95% recommended threshold. A child has died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can have serious complications. Concern is growing about the number of cases of measles in the UK and the current MMR vaccination rates which are below the 95% recommended threshold needed for herd immunity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a statement following the death, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: 'This is tragic news and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the child who sadly died. 'We are concerned about the increasing number of children and young people who are contracting measles. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which can cause children to be seriously unwell, requiring hospital treatment, and in rare cases, death. 'There is an urgent need to address falling immunisation rates. Nationally, only 84 per cent of children in England receive the first dose of the MMR vaccine by age two, and just 88.8 per cent receive both doses by age five—below the 95 per cent threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to achieve herd immunity.' What is measles? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection, the virus spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can have serious health consequences, especially for young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the symptoms of measles? Measles often begins as cold-like symptoms including a high temperature, a blocked or runny nose, sneezing and a cough. Small white spots may also appear inside the cheeks and back of lips, according to the NHS. What is a measles rash? The measles rash usually appears a few days after developing the cold-like symptoms, brown or red in appearance, it starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body. Is there a measles outbreak in the UK? There have been 529 confirmed measles cases so far in England in 2025, with 68 per cent of cases occurring in children under the age of 10-years-old. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of these cases, 233 have been in London, 64 in the East of England and 64 in the North West. With 84 out of 152 upper tier local authorities (UTLAs) reporting at least one confirmed measles case since January 2025. In 2024, there were 2,911 confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded annually, since 2012. This spike of cases was initially driven by a measles outbreak in Birmingham and London. Can you catch measles if you are vaccinated? If you are fully vaccinated from measles you may be able to catch the virus, but it is rare. Vaccination is the main form of protection we have against catching the illness and plays an important role in stopping its spread. Dr Connor Bamford, Virologist, Queen's University Belfast, explained: 'Measles is a vaccine preventable illness and so we need more people vaccinated against the virus (two doses of MMR, which also protects against other viruses). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely measles will spread due to herd immunity. To reach herd immunity we need >95% vaccine coverage but on average the UK has less than 85% and there are pockets around the country with even lower levels. We need to encourage more vaccination.'
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
LGA says tackling child obesity essential to avoid ticking health time bomb
Children who are obese today could become obese adults in the future. The warning comes from Councillor David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) Community Wellbeing Board, in response to a Royal Society for Public Health report on physical activity and child obesity. Cllr Fothergill said: "As these stark new projections show, there is still much to do if we are to avoid today's obese children becoming tomorrow's obese adults. "The government must work with councils and others to turbo charge the efforts to tackle this ticking health time bomb, so we can collectively tackle sedentary lifestyles and boost physical activity." He emphasised the challenges faced by families, especially in disadvantaged areas. READ: Obesity remains a 'significant health challenge' as latest figures revealed Cllr Fothergill said: "Access to healthy, nutritious food is a huge challenge for families in our most disadvantaged communities, particularly amidst the ongoing rise in the cost-of-living. To effectively tackle obesity, councils need funding to provide targeted support to those who need it the most." He also called for funding from the soft drinks industry levy to be reinvested in council-run healthy eating and physical activity programmes. Cllr Fothergill said: "It is vital that councils are adequately funded through the public health grant to provide the frontline services that tackle obesity, so we were concerned the Spending Review once again overlooked public health funding. Investment in councils' public health services now will reap benefits for everyone longer-term and help improve the life chances of the next generation."
The Guardian
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Vapers warned not to stockpile ‘fire risk' disposables before UK ban
Vapers have been warned not to stockpile soon-to-be-banned disposables before Sunday's outright ban as they 'pose a significant fire risk'. The Local Government Association (LGA) said users were stocking up on single-use e-cigarettes while they could, as shops would face fines for selling them after the ban takes effect. And although the temptation from consumers may be to hoard their favourite flavours, the LGA said the lithium batteries inside could become a hazard if not stored correctly. David Fothergill, the chair of the LGA's community wellbeing board, said: 'We want to remind businesses to ensure all remaining stocks of disposable vapes are sold, and only buying vapes that follow the new regulations. 'If businesses have any single-use vapes in their possession after Sunday, they will not be able to sell them to shoppers and must ensure they are stored and disposed of safely. 'We would also urge caution to anyone stockpiling disposable vapes. Failing to store disposable vapes correctly could cost lives, given the significant fire risk they pose.' According to research by Haypp, an online nicotine retailer, 82% of disposable vape users are planning to stockpile. The ban is designed to reduce youth vaping and tackle the environmental damage caused by millions of the devices being thrown away each week. Retailers have been told to clear remaining stock and ensure leftover products are disposed of safely. Material Focus, a non-profit focused on improving electrical recycling in the UK, said 5 million disposable vapes were incorrectly discarded each week in the UK in 2024 – nearly four times higher than the previous year. Many contain lithium-ion batteries, posing fire risks and leaching toxic chemicals into the environment when binned incorrectly. Scott Butler, the executive director of Material Focus, said: 'Thirteen vapes every second are being incorrectly gotten rid of, and that's a huge environmental pollution problem. The liquid in many vape batteries is toxic and could run into waterways, as well as harm animals. It's also a significant fire risk because lithium batteries are known to cause fires when crushed with general waste.' 'Vapes are a huge environmental pollution problem, so we hope the ban goes some way to reducing waste,' he added. Disposables are also the most common device used by children who vape, with more than 20% of UK children having tried vaping, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). The devices are often sold in sweet flavours and brightly coloured packaging, which campaigners say appeal to underage users. Under the new rules, only vapes that are rechargeable, refillable and fitted with a replaceable coils (the heating element) will be allowed. Experts worry the industry may have already found ways to sidestep the UK government's ban, while cheaper vape imports rerouted from the US risk pushing down prices further. There are also concerns that new US tariffs on Chinese imports may increase cheap vape shipments to the UK, making enforcement of the ban more difficult. Hazel Cheeseman, the deputy chief executive of ASH, said: 'There's already a sizeable illegal market. Whether the disposable vapes ban makes that risk greater, I guess that depends on how quickly the legitimate retailers are making products available to people that suit their needs. 'People don't necessarily want to go looking for illegal products if they can buy legitimate products in their local corner shop or supermarket that meet their needs, why would they go off looking for dodgy ones?' There are also concerns about policing the vapes at borders and ports, said Kate Pike, the lead officer for vaping at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, who stressed that stronger import controls would be essential. 'We have extra funding to do more at ports and borders … From our point of view, it's important, because obviously it makes a big difference if we can stop [illegal vapes entering the country],' she said.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Real risk' as homes to be built without link road
Hundreds of new homes are to be built without a link road, creating a "real risk" to people's lives, a councillor has said. The final stage of Taunton's Nerrols Farm development, which includes 292 homes, has now been approved after years of debates and complaints. But without the proposed link road, all of the new residents will have to use a single road. Parish councils and Taunton's MP objected to the plans progressing without the new route linking Lyngford Lane to Bossington Drive. But, councillor Simon Coles, chair of Somerset Council's planning meeting, said if they refused the application, there was 99% chance they will lose on appeal. More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset Once complete, the Nerrols Farm development will include about 900 homes and a new primary school. Developer David Wilson Homes argued that delivering the link road was not practical due to a narrow "ransom strip" between the phase two and three sites, which was outside of its ownership, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. To offset the increase in traffic onto nearby roads, an additional walking and cycling link will be provided, offering a route to Pyrland School and the Wellsprings Leisure Centre. Numerous residents and councillors spoke against the application when it was debated at a meeting on 15 April. Councillor David Fothergill said traffic assessments were not conducted on the north side of the development and he believed this information would change the outcome. "Are you going to put residents and their children at real risk because you haven't seen the information you need to make the right decision?", he said. Resident Kate Wilson added: "None of this makes any sense. The consequences of these plans will not only be unsafe, but irreversible." The committee approved the plans by five votes to four, with one abstention. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Developer successfully appeals plan for 150 homes Housing plan moves closer after wetlands approved Plans for new homes near motorway submitted Local Democracy Reporting Service
