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As schools break up for the holidays, parents in West Sussex have been warned to make sure their children's vaccinations are up to date following outbreaks of measles in Europe.

Cases in the UK have also rocketed this year, as figures show parents are still not taking hundreds of young children for their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines.

It means the area is falling below the vaccination level the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says is required to prevent outbreaks of measles.

The most recent figures show that, in the 2016-17 financial year, 85 per cent of children in West Sussex turning five had received the recommended two MMR jabs.

Just 86 per cent of children across the South East received both MMR jabs by the age of five in 2016-17

It means that an estimated 1,360 five-year-olds in the area had not been vaccinated.

The ECDC warns that areas in which fewer than 95 per cent of the population are vaccinated are at a heightened risk of a measles outbreak.

But only four countries in the EU have hit this target, with the UK among those falling short.

Across the South East, just 86 per cent of children had received both MMR jabs by the age of five in 2016-17.

In the UK, 757 cases of measles have been reported so far this year – nearly triple the 274 cases reported in the whole of 2017.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has also advised teenagers who missed their jabs in the late 1990s to ensure they are up to date before travelling.

Many missed the course of vaccination following discredited scare stories over links between the vaccine and developing autism.

Warning to check MMR vaccinations after measles outbreaks