Carly Simon on Monday shared a lengthy and candid letter regarding the state of her health, which she said led to her recent withdrawal from the public eye.
The 83-year-old “You’re so Vain” singer and two-time Grammy winner in a statement shared with The Times revealed she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and has dedicated time away from the spotlight to understand and learn how to live with the illness. Simon said she decided to come forward about her health issues after “so many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence.” She did not specify when she was diagnosed.
Parkinson’s disease, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a nervous system movement disorder that worsens with time and cannot be cured. Tremors are a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease, which also notably afflicts “Back to the Future” star Michael J. Fox.
Simon explained in her statement that she experienced arthritis in both of her knees and one hip prior to receiving her diagnosis. She had those three joints replaced — “out with the old and in with delicate bouquets of metal and plastic” — but experienced worsening mobility after, including difficulty walking and standing from couches and low chairs.
“Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help,” she continued. “My family and I knew that something more was going on.”
She said she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s after a trip to the Mayo Clinic and underwent treatment and started taking medication to aid with her symptoms.
“There is no tidy predictable schedule to the illness,” she said.
Simon also wrote that her experience with Parkinson’s wrought “anxiety, depression, exhaustion, an apathy.” Of the last, Simon recalled lying like a starfish “while nothing inside is telling you to get up, read, watch, sing, call someone, or do much of anything at all.”
Simon revealed that in the same period, she underwent surgery to treat skin cancer, specifically basal cell carcinoma on her face. The singer’s two sisters died of different cancers days apart in 2022. She said she felt self-conscious about her appearance post-surgery and retreated further from the public. “This gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material,” she wrote.
The singer, who likened herself to an “all-season” hibernating bear, said “I have not stopped living, and I have not stopped working” amid her health issues. She then promoted her upcoming album “Comes in Waves,” her first album of original music since 2008. “Comes in Waves” arrives Aug. 14. She is set to release the song “Peaches” from the album on Friday.
“Music has always known when to arrive,” she wrote. “It has rescued me more times that I can count.”
“Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape,” she said. “It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room. It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life.”
For Simon, her Parkinson’s battle has proved “difficult, frustrating, and sometimes frightening,” but not a complete obstacle to her life. She expressed gratitude to her friends, family, caregivers and medical teams for their support.
“These days I move more slowly, I lean on others more than I once did, and I have learned to accept that every day will look a little different,” she concluded. “But I am still very much here.”
BUSTED’S James Bourne has revealed he’s still ‘not out of the woods’ in a rare health update amid a mystery illness.
The star was forced to withdraw from the McFly Vs Busted tour in September last year due to his health.
In April, he revealed he was having surgery to “extend his life” in a worrying health update, and now he’s issued another one.
In a new post on X, James wrote: “As I’m taking a break from the gram, I’ll be posting an update soon about what’s going on with my health in my Spotify bio.
“It’s a long story. Still not out of the woods yet. Thanks for your support and patience.”
The update comes a month after James, 42, gave his only interview to The Sun to talk about a new project he was determined to finish despite his on-going health battle.
Read More on James Bourne
On July 1 he released new album Murder At The Gates, which he created for a brand new musical with legendary American playwright Steven Sater.
He said: “I didn’t want my health to stop me from promoting this project because I’ve put 13 years of my life into it.
“There was a fear of not finishing it. But I knew I had to finish it and give this to the people.
“There’s like a few people that have been waiting for it. There are hardcore fans who show to up for everything – and I have been speaking about this for a long time.
“It feels so good to now have this as a finished product. And it’s the first album I’ve ever produced. So I’m proud of it.”
WASHINGTON — For Mary Fisher–mother, artist, philanthropist and HIV-positive woman–the moment is now.
She tries hard not to think about the future: her future, or the possibility that her children will face their future without her. When she feels the fear, it comes “in that reflective place you find yourself in at night, when you’re forced to find a quiet time,” she said.
“I allow my work and my children to fill my time, so I don’t have to think about those things on a daily or hourly basis,” she said. “I couldn’t get through the days if I did.”
Nor does Fisher dwell on her medical situation with her two young sons, who are now 6 and 4. Neither of them is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS.
“The best thing I can do for them is be with them, look them straight in the eye, answer their questions as best I can and be here, be involved in their lives as best I can,” she said. “They know I have a disease. I don’t know if they’re relating it to what their dad had–and I don’t know if I want them to relate to it, because I’m not sick.
“I don’t want to instill my fears–if I have them–in my children,” she added.
It has been nearly two years since Fisher, 45, seared the public consciousness with her speech before the Republican National Convention.
Standing before her fellow Republicans, she spoke in calm, gentle tones–but delivered a personal story that shocked the hall into silence.
“I think she reaches people that activists like myself can never reach, which is people who respond to maternal warmth and not to yelling,” said playwright Larry Kramer, a close friend of Fisher’s who is a founding member of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power).
“That’s why she is as important as we are, maybe more so,” he said. “We’re a funny pair because she’s always saying to me: ‘Larry, I wish I had some of your anger.’ And I’m always saying to her: ‘Mary, I wish I had some of your compassion.’ I see her speeches on TV and say: ‘Mary, why don’t you get angrier?’ And she says: ‘Larry, I can’t.’ But I think she’s exceedingly effective being as she is, and I don’t want her to change a decibel.”
Fisher challenged the Republican Party to confront the AIDS epidemic with candor and compassion and to make the issue its own.
Since then, she has traveled the nation, speaking in churches, schools, prisons–wherever there is an audience that can learn from her message: If it can happen to me, it can happen to you.
In many quarters, “people perceive AIDS as a depressing subject and don’t want to take personal responsibility,” Fisher said from the home she now rents in a Maryland suburb outside Washington, where she moved her family from Boca Raton, Fla., last summer.
“They try to make me an exception,” she said. “I am not unusual. I am unusual only because I am speaking out. . . . The point is, there are a lot of me’s out there, women with small children who are (HIV) positive, women who are devastated, women who are scared to talk about it. I know, because they come to me when I am traveling. It’s truly amazing.”
In some ways, Fisher is wrong–she is unusual in the framework of the AIDS epidemic: She is wealthy — the daughter of longtime GOP fund-raiser and Detroit real estate mogul Max Fisher — and she works for herself at home (she creates art using handmade paper) so she has no “workplace problem” with AIDS.
And she has enough money to keep her children sheltered, although she has not isolated them.
Moreover, she is a longtime Republican with impeccable political credentials and connections.
Fisher includes former Presidents Gerald R. Ford and George Bush and their families among her closest friends. She once worked in the Ford White House, and photographs of Ford and her two sons, Max and Zachary, adorn her living room.
But AIDS is the great leveler, so she is also right–in many ways, she is no exception at all.
Fisher was infected by her former husband, Brian Campbell, who reportedly was at one time an intravenous drug user. He has since died of AIDS. Women infected through heterosexual contact have become a rapidly growing population.
Fisher said it took a long time for her to come to grips with her infection–and to speak about it.
“The discovery that we are HIV-positive tends to divide our lives into ‘before’ and ‘after,’ ” Fisher wrote in a newly published collection of her speeches, “Sleep with the Angels,” subtitled, “a mother challenges AIDS.”
The book, she says, “is not just about AIDS, it’s about children. It’s about religion. It’s about how we as a people deal with each other, and it’s about my life, my relationships with others and the unconditional love that’s out there.”
Kramer, who is quick to criticize others involved in AIDS activities, has only praise and affection for Fisher.
“It’s impossible not to like Mary because she is so caring and loving and motherly and interested, and because she puts her arms around you and gives you wonderful hugs,” he said.
Fisher learned in July, 1991, that she was infected, but she said it took six months before she was ready to tell her story publicly.
After she did, and after she spoke to the GOP convention, Bush appointed her to the now-defunct National Commission on AIDS, replacing Earvin (Magic) Johnson, the HIV-positive retired Los Angeles Lakers star who quit over what he said was an unresponsive Administration.
Fisher also founded the Family AIDS Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising AIDS awareness nationwide.
The network, she says, plans to give “care-giver” awards this spring because “they are the people who take care of us. They are the people who do not leave this epidemic.” She also said she hopes that the organization can raise enough money for small AIDS research grants.
Currently, Fisher has no symptoms and takes no AIDS medication. “I feel really healthy, and am doing fine,” she said. “As far as I know, everything is good.”
Fisher said she intends to keep doing everything she is doing for as long as she can, speaking quietly and forcefully about the epidemic to whoever will listen.
“If we can create a dialogue and keep it going, I believe it’s the only way we can make a difference,” she said.
July 12 (UPI) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly on Saturday night, two days after his 71st birthday, his office announced.
Graham had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he toured a drone factory and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, CBS News and The Washington Post reported.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement posted to X.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement said.
Graham had been scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday morning, which instead featured an interview with President Donald Trump, who said that he’d spoken with the senator on Saturday after he’d returned from Ukraine.
“Other than being tired, he was fine,” Trump said.
Graham, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, had already won South Carolina’s Republican Senate primary and now will have to be replaced on the ticket.
The state is expected to hold a special primary in the next few weeks so that voters can choose a new candidate.
Bonnie Tyler
Singer Bonnie Tyler performs the song “Believe in Me” during the dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Sweden, on May 17, 2013. Tyler, best known for her hit songs “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out For a Hero,” died at the age of 75 on July 8. Photo by Jessica Gow/EPA
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has died at the age of 71. He died on Saturday evening following a “brief and sudden illness”, according to his office.
Elected to the Senate in 2002, the South Carolina politician was one of Washington’s most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.
Donald Trump said Graham was a “true American Patriot” who would be “greatly missed”.
Graham had just returned from Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. There were no known health concerns ahead of his trip.
Graham was a staunch supporter of arming Kyiv and applying sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky said in a post on X, external that he was “deeply saddened” by his death.
“America and the world have lost a determined leader,” he added.
Graham’s relationship with the US president had evolved since Trump first ran for office.
In a CNN interview during his campaign for the presidency in 2015, Graham called Trump “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot”. The next year, he said: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed… and we will deserve it.”
After the US Capitol riots in 2021, Graham gave a speech on the Senate floor in which he said: “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way.
“All I can say is a count me out. Enough is enough.”
Kyle Wehner/iStock via Getty Images
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican lawmaker from South Carolina and one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies on Capitol Hill, has died at the age of 71 following a brief and sudden illness, according to a statement from his office. No cause of death
Cyclosporiasis, an infection that causes “explosive” diarrhea, is on the rise more than usual in regions throughout the United States, health officials said Wednesday.
July 8 (UPI) — Cases of cyclosporiasis, an infection that causes “explosive” diarrhea, are on the rise in regions throughout the United States, health officials said Wednesday.
The intestinal illness, which is caused by the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite, often surges through the summer, but this year has been marked by larger-than-usual spikes in some states.
Reported cases in Michigan are nearing 1,000 since June 22, a representative from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services told ABC News. The state usually has about 50 reported cases a year.
Authorities in Ohio, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Illinois are also dealing with more cases than usual. However, a spokesperson for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is “no evidence of a single, multistate Cyclospora outbreak” right now. It can take weeks or more for local authorities to report confirmed cases to the CDC.
The parasite spreads through food or water contaminated by feces from an infected person, and person-to-person spread is unlikely. ABC News reports that the Michigan health department’s working hypothesis is that the outbreak is connected to contaminated produce.
Past outbreaks have been connected to fresh produce such as raspberries, salad greens, basil, cilantro and snow peas.
The illness is not usually life-threatening, but if not treated, it can last a few days to over a month, the CDC said. Multiple relapses are possible. The CDC also notes that the true number of those infected with Cyclospora is likely higher than reported.
In addition to the most well-known symptom of sudden, watery diarrhea, symptoms of cyclosporiasis include vomiting, nausea, severe stomach cramps, loss of appetite and fatigue. It can take up to two weeks after eating contaminated food for symptoms to show themselves.
To avoid cyclosporiasis, people should avoid food and water that may be contaminated.
They also should take basic food safety precautions, such as washing hands with soap and water before and after handling raw fruits or vegetables, thoroughly washing all fresh produce under running water before eating or preparing, cutting away any damaged areas on fresh produce and refrigerating prepared produce as soon as possible.
A BRIT music legend, 70, has been ‘admitted to hospital’ with a mystery illness as he reschedules gigs last-minute.
Bruce Foxton – the bassist and backing vocalist of The Jam – was set to play a gig in Kidderminster on Friday evening.
But in a post on social media, it was revealed Bruce had fallen ill and would have to reschedule the performance.
The post by AGMP Concerts read: “Due to illness, the Bruce Foxton concerts this weekend are being rearranged.
“Tonight’s concert in Kidderminster has now been cancelled. Tomorrow’s Lincoln show (Saturday 27th June) has moved to Friday 15th January 2027.
“Thanks for your understanding. We look forward to seeing you in the new year.”
Meanwhile another post on X from a fan claimed: “Bruce’s show in Kidderminster tonight has been cancelled and not rescheduled due to the fact he has been admitted into hospital.
“Let’s hope it’s not too serious for this absolute legend.”
Bruce’s fans were quick to comment, with one writing: “Get well soon Bruce. Take a break sir, we’d prefer a happy healthy retired Bruce than a pushing himself to the limit to the detriment of his health Bruce.”
Another added: “Sending u my love Legend…TIME2RELAX NOW U WORKED YOUR A*** OFF….We have memories Bruce..enjoy your life now..we all love u and now time to enjoy your memories xx.”
A third commented: “Get well quickly Bruce. Such a great bass player, seen him in The Jam, Stiff Little Fingers and of course From The Jam.”
Bruce first came to prominence in the 1970s in The Jam before pursuing a solo career when the band broke up.
In 1990 he joined Stiff Little Fingers and was with the band until 2007, before he joined Rick Buckler and members of his tribute band, the Gift, to tour under the name From the Jam.
The Sun Online has reached out to a representative for Bruce for comment.
16:19, 15 Jun 2026
Kevin and daughter Natalie (Kennedy News and Media)
A dad faces a £30,000 medical bill after falling ill on holiday because he didn’t declare a common ailment on his travel insurance. Kevin Turner flew to Alicante with his partner Joy Peck in May after feeling poorly the week before with a chest infection.
After taking antibiotics and steroids, the 63-year-old said he felt assured by his GP that he was ‘good to go’ and was prescribed more medication to account for being away. The retired painter and decorator felt ‘off’ when he landed but put it down to the journey. It was when his chest pains worsened the following day that Joy called an ambulance.
After being rushed to a hospital in Alicante, doctors discovered Kevin had a pierced lung and pneumonia and he was put in intensive care. Despite having holiday insurance, Kevin’s family says his medical bills aren’t covered as he didn’t declare his chest infection before travelling – meaning he faces bills of at least £30,000.
Kevin’s daughters Sam Turner, 44, and Natalie Fowell, 40, have set up a GoFundMe to help pay his medical bills and get him home to the UK. Sam, from Winsford, Cheshire, said: “It was really, really scary because obviously you’re helpless. You’re over here and you don’t know what’s going on.
“He did have an existing chest infection that he had visited the doctor for that week and had been given antibiotics and steroids. He did also say that he was due to go on holiday and there were no warnings or concerns around that [from the GP] so he thought he was good to go.
“They just gave him enough medication for the fact that he was going away and that was it. He’d arrived at midnight, had something to eat and drink and gone to bed, feeling a bit off but just put it down to travel. It got progressively worse from there.
“By the next day the pains were just so much that in hindsight he probably already had pneumonia when he got on the flight, but he wasn’t aware. Joy rang me from the hotel and said ‘I’ve had to call him an ambulance, he’s not good’ and we were like ‘right, ok get him to the hospital’, trying to get updates all the time.
“They [doctors] said he had a pierced lung and chest and stomach pain where it’s believed air and gases had built up and had to be drained.”
Wedding co-ordinator Sam flew out to be with her dad on May 30 to be by his bedside. After contacting the insurance company, Sam says she was told that Kevin’s medical bills wouldn’t be covered as he didn’t declare the ongoing chest infection on his travel insurance before flying.
The cost of his bills is estimated to be £30,000, but as Kevin is still in intensive care it may rise. You can donate to Kevin’s GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-kevs-recovery-and-journey-home
Sam said: “It very much looks like it’s a case of, the small print says if there are any significant health changes up to the date of travel then you must notify them. He’s still in intensive care and we’re trying to find out what the prognosis is.
“He hasn’t been out of bed, he hasn’t used his legs or feet and he’s just really worried because he’s lost all feeling in them. The insurance took about two weeks for them to decide that they weren’t going to pay out. It involved a lot of chasing from us.
“I would always say read the small print of the insurance document, make sure you go with a reputable company and look at their reviews.”
BUSTED star James Bourne has become centre to quite the mystery as it’s been revealed his Instagram account has disappeared.
This comes just six months after he pulled out of the band’s huge tour with a serious illness.
When fans click through to scroll his profile, it’s completely gone.
It shows a blank white page with the words, “Sorry this page isn’t available.
“The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.”
This message usually pops up when Instagram has removed the account or the account holder has deleted their page.
James pulled out of the group’s tour alongside their pals McFly last September, just hours before they were due on stage.
The 42-year-old confessed he would not be tearing up the stage with the rest of his band – Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis.
He cited the reason for pulling out as “health” problems and said he “hoped to come back further down the line”.
James said in his statement: “The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as I’ve been all year for this tour to begin, I’m really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows.
“There’s a lot of information I still don’t have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on medical stuff for now.”
None of the boys wanted to let fans down and so they decided to push ahead with a replacement on guitar.
Bassist Matt told the Birmingham crowd: “You may have noticed our best friend is not here tonight. James Bourne is really f***ing sick and we love him and we miss him.
“This is the first show we’ve ever played without him and it’s really weird but we’re going to do the best we can.
“This happened really fast, y’know, health is wealth.”
The remaining Busted stars explained to their fans that they’d asked James if they should continue and he agreed saying, “you totally should.”
Back in April James opened up to Busted fans, sharing he was having a major surgery in the hopes it would extend his life expectancy.
“Hopefully [the surgery will] make me well enough to come back to what I love the most which is touring and making music. It really sucks to be out of the game,” admitted James on his Instagram story.
The singer, who shot to fame when Busted arrived on the pop scene in 2002 with What I Go To School For, is yet to reveal what illness he is battling.
Busted confirmed their split in an emotional press conference on January 13, 2005.
However they thrilled fans when they got back together ten years later, and have been going strong ever since.
The group have continued to rack up hit after hit.
A presenter has returned to The One Show after being off ill(Image: BBC screengrab)
One of the presenters on The One Show has returned to the sofa after taking time off ill.
Alex Jones is usually a staple on the BBC programme but was absent on Monday and Tuesday this week, with JB Gill stepping in and hosting alongside her regular co-presenter, Roman Kemp.
However, the TV star was back on Wednesday (June 3), fronting the show alongside Angellica Bell.
Alex’s return was confirmed on Instagram ahead of the show, with Angellica exclaiming: “Good news, everyone. Alex is back!”
“Are you feeling better?” she asked the presenter.
“I am,” replied Alex. “I am slightly croaky, but we’ll get through it,” she added.
As the show started, she told Angellica that she had “nearly recovered” after being unwell, adding: “Glad to be here.”
The pair then turned to announcing the guests who would be on the show – Dara Ó Briain and Shania Twain.
Alex has been hosting the BBC programme for several years, and is one of the show’s best known presenters. The star, who has three children with her husband Charlie, has been a presenter on the programme since 2010, hosting with stars such as Matt Baker, Ronan Keating and Roman.
Speaking last year, she told the BBC: “I feel incredibly proud to have been on the iconic sofa for all these years. It certainly doesn’t feel like 15 years, and it still feels fresh, as the show keeps evolving. I feel like we keep coming back better and better.
“I started as a young girl and I feel like I’ve grown up with our viewers. They have seen me through all my big life moments like getting engaged and married, to having children. Our viewers are like extended family by now!”
She went on: “I think the reason is it really strikes a chord with people because we sit right at the heart of the nation. Our job, essentially, is to reflect what’s going on. All the small daily bits and pieces, but also the big events that affect the country.”
The One Show airs at 7pm on BBC One on weekdays.
Travel experts warned that cases of a contagious illness are rising worldwide(Image: Getty)
Brits planning a summer getaway have been urged to ensure they are “up-to-date” with their vaccinations. The warning follows an “increase” in measles cases globally, including across parts of Europe and Asia.
Measles is a highly infectious viral infection that triggers cold-like symptoms, red eyes, and a characteristic blotchy rash. In severe instances, it can result in serious complications such as meningitis and seizures, and can be fatal.
In guidance published on the Travel Health Pro website, experts highlighted that the disease has risen in numerous countries. They said: “The summer holidays provide opportunity to explore different countries, head off for a city break, have a beach holiday or take the children to visit friends and family overseas.
“Good preparation and planning ahead helps ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. Travellers should be up to date with routine vaccination courses and boosters as recommended in the UK.
“These vaccinations include, for example measles-mumps-rubella (MMR). Measles is a risk in many countries, and there has been an increase in measles cases and outbreaks reported worldwide, including in parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, including Canada and the United States.” Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control revealed that a total of 3,607 measles cases were reported by 30 EU/EEA member states in the year following 1 April 2025.
Breaking down the figures further, it stated: “Of 3,029 individuals (84.0 per cent of all cases) with a known age and vaccination status, 2 369 (78.2 per cent) were unvaccinated, 320 (10.6 per cent) were vaccinated with one dose of a measles-containing vaccine, 301 (9.9 per cent) were vaccinated with two or more doses, and 32 (1.1 per cent) were vaccinated with an unknown number of doses.
“During the 12-month period, five deaths (case fatality rate (CFR): 0.139 per cent) attributable to measles were reported to ECDC by France (three), Netherlands (one) and Romania (one).”
Meanwhile, a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) discovered that measles cases in Europe reached their highest level in 2024 since 1997. A total of 127,350 measles cases were recorded in the European Region in 2024, double the figure reported for 2023 and the highest number since 1997.
Children under five made up more than 40 per cent of reported cases in the Region – covering 53 countries across Europe and Central Asia. Over half of the reported cases necessitated hospitalisation. A total of 38 deaths have been documented, according to preliminary data received as of 6 March 2025. The resurgence has been linked to falling vaccination rates. Dr Hans P Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, warned: “Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call. Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security. As we shape our new regional health strategy for Europe and Central Asia, we cannot afford to lose ground.
“Every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities. The measles virus never rests-and neither can we.”
Measles cases are also on the rise across the UK. Figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that in 2024, there were 2,911 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England – the highest annual total recorded since 2012. In 2025, there were a total of 959 laboratory-confirmed measles cases. Data for 2023 to 2025 and historical data are available.
Between 1 January 2026 and 11 May 2026, there have been 542 laboratory-confirmed measles cases reported in England, an increase of 65 cases since the last report on 27 April 2026.
The virus transmits very quickly. Initial symptoms typically resemble those of a common cold, with a distinctive rash emerging several days afterwards.
The first symptoms of measles can include:
The rash initially appears on the face and behind the ears, subsequently spreading across the entire body. Occasionally, the spots associated with the measles rash become raised and merge, creating blotchy patches. These are typically not itchy.
The NHS cautions that measles can trigger severe complications should it migrate to other bodily areas, particularly the lungs or brain. Potential consequences include pneumonia, meningitis, loss of vision, and convulsions. In the most serious instances, the disease can be life-threatening.
Measles is spread when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. You’re infectious from when you first have symptoms (around four days before the rash appears) until four days after you get the rash.
The NHS advises that to curb the transmission of the infection, individuals must remain absent from educational institutions or workplaces for a minimum of four days following the emergence of the rash. According to its website, the guidance states: “Stay off nursery, school or work for at least four days from when the rash first appears. Also try to avoid close contact with babies and anyone who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system.”
However, the initial step if you or your child develops measles is to arrange an urgent consultation with your GP. The NHS advises: “Measles can spread to others easily. Call your GP surgery before you go in.
“They may suggest talking over the phone or arrange for you to come to a part of the surgery where you’re separated from others. You can also call 111 or get help from 111 online.”
After seeing a GP, there are things you can do to help ease the symptoms and reduce the risk of spreading the infection. It can help to:
Having the MMRV or MMR vaccine is the “best way” to prevent measles. The NHS says: “Both vaccines also protect you from mumps and rubella, and the MMRV vaccine also protects you from chickenpox.
“The MMRV vaccine is offered to all young children in the UK. The MMR vaccine is recommended for adults and older children if they were not vaccinated when they were younger.”
Ask at your GP surgery if you’re not sure you or your child has had either of these vaccines. Your GP can vaccinate you for free on the NHS.
