Measles and Mumps requirements for Locums and Nursing Agency Staff

All Locums, AHP’s and Agency Nurses working in the UK must be fully compliant with Department of Health Measles and Mumps requirements to be eligible for work with the A24 Group. The Department of Health has written to Trusts to inform them that all healthcare professionals should be able to prove immunity.

Candidates will need to produce written evidence in the form of a compliant certificate of fitness. This requires that candidates have the following evidence available: proof of positive antibody for Measles and Rubella; or that they have received two MMR Vaccinations; or that they have received a series of two Measles, Rubella and Mumps Vaccinations (6 in total).

Also, if a candidate has a positive antibody for Measles and Rubella but his or her mumps are negative or equivocal then appropriate action must be taken as mumps immunity is still necessary. For further details contact us on the Agency Web Site

Latest figures show the uptake of the MMR triple vaccine in the community has risen slightly to 89.6% from 83.4%.

However, they are still a long way off the 95% level needed to provide “herd immunisation” and prevent the disease taking hold in the community among unvaccinated people.

Some states in the USA have a requirement for children to be vaccinated before they start school. The country has a 99% uptake of MMR among school entry children.