Parents of 11,000 children are being urged to get them immunised to prevent a potential measles outbreak.
Sunderland councillors are backing calls to quickly boost the uptake of the controversial MMR – measles, mumps and rubella – vaccine, to protect youngsters vulnerable to the potentially fatal infection.
The move comes after a measles outbreak in
County Durham and Teesside, which is feared could spread to Wearside.
The issue was raised at Sunderland Council's children, young people and learning scrutiny committee
"The outbreak of measles on Teesside seems to be spreading northwards," Coun Graham Hall, vice-chairman of the committee, said.
"And we have 11,000 children in the city not fully immunised."
Coun Hall added: "Both the local authority and health trust are telling parents to get their children immunised as soon as possible."
According to the Health Protection Agency, there has been one confirmed case of measles in Sunderland out of 93 across the North East since January, which is much higher than in previous years.
Nonnie Crawford, Director of Public Health for Sunderland, said: "The North East is experiencing the largest outbreak of measles for 20 years.
"We have been working for some months now on boosting the levels of MMR vaccination but, in the circumstances, as we know there are a significant number of children locally who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, we felt we needed to do even more
"We have identified that the best place for us to deliver a catch-up immunisation programme is through schools and we will be running catch-up clinics between now and the end of term – firstly in primary and special schools and then in secondary schools.
"We will then look to hold more clinics over the summer."
She added: "I would urge parents in Sunderland whose children are offered the vaccination in this way to seize the opportunity to ensure they are fully protected.
"Measles is highly infectious and is, potentially, a very serious illness which can, on rare occasions, be fatal."
MMR vaccination rates dropped nationwide after controversy about its safety.
Although research which potentially linked it to autism has been dismissed and Government health experts have declared it safe, public confidence in MMR has not been fully restored.
Children need both doses of the vaccination to be fully immunised."
