Karen Ford’s granddaughter became seriously ill, highlighting just how important it is for communities to have herd immunity Your report on the response to the measles outbreak in north London highlights the profound consequences of falling immunisation uptake ( ‘A lot of vaccine hesitancy’: how north London council is responding to measles outbreak, 16 February ). Behind the statistics are real and frightening experiences for families like ours. My granddaughter, not yet eligible for the vaccine, was admitted to hospital in late November with respiratory syncytial virus and bronchiolitis. Shortly after being discharged, she developed pneumonia, later followed by a rash: measles. She became seriously ill and needed urgent readmission. Sitting for hours holding her small body, unsure how the illness would progress, is something our family will never forget. She was so weak she could barely cry. Continue reading...