MMR jab for 50,000 children in Scotland

UP TO 50,000 Scottish children are to be offered the MMR jab as part of the campaign to boost vaccination rates.

On Wednesday, chief medical officer Sir Harry Burns said the Scottish Government would be writing to parents of children not fully vaccinated to invite them to have the jab, following a rise in cases of measles in ­England and Wales.

But at that time the Scottish Government was unable to say how many youngsters would be affected.

They have now revealed that up 50,000 children aged ten to 17 could get the jab as part of the catch-up campaign. Officials said they would also work with health boards to make sure the jabs were given “in the most cost-effective way”.

Around 900 people have been infected with measles in a major outbreak in South Wales. While Scotland has only seen 16 cases so far this year, there are fears that higher rates south of the Border could mean the disease spreads, prompting the renewed vaccination campaign.