Shropshire Star comment: Children have to be protected

And while any unchecked or deliberately misleading information can pose problems, the issue is particularly serious when people's health is involved.

The case of the anti-vaccination messages that spread like wildfire around social media in recent years is a stark example.

The result was that many people did not bother to take their children to have the required injections, leaving them unprotected from measles.

The figures are quite startling.

Tens of thousands of youngsters across the West Midlands were left unprotected after failing to take the vaccine between April 2010 and December last year.

They include nearly 2,000 across parts of Shropshire, more than 20,000 in the Black Country and around 8,000 in Staffordshire.

While the overall risk of measles in this country is low, we are continuing to see cases across Europe, mainly involving people who have not been immunised.

This could easily lead to spread of the disease in communities with low coverage of the MRR vaccine.

Let's not forget, measles is highly contagious and its symptoms are incredibly unpleasant. They can include a rash and fever – and there can be serious complications in some cases leading to even worse symptoms.

It is a sign of how serious the issue is that Government ministers have reportedly considered banning unvaccinated children from attending schools.

While it may not come to that – and it should be noted that a similar policy in America was blocked by the courts – it is clear that people who are not vaccinated are putting themselves and others at serious risk.

As parents we need to make sure we do the right thing, by ensuring that our children are immunised against measles.

It is scandalous that in 2019 young people are at risk by a rejection of vaccines that is, to all intents and purposes, largely the result of misinformation.

Stories pushing nonsensical theories such as the claim that vaccines can cause autism in children must be disregarded.

Measles can be extremely serious. It is up to all of us to make sure that our families and communities are protected.