A CAMPAIGNER blinded by measles has spoken out about the dangers of not being vaccinated after an outbreak was confirmed.

There are currently one confirmed case and seven suspected cases with 200 more people who may have been exposed following an outbreak at learning disability day centres for adults.

Four remain closed – at Project 49, Salvation Army Hadleigh Training Centre, RE House and Summer Care Day Centre.

Dick De Vigne’s Mod night club event and The Music Man night club event were also cancelled this week.

Castle Point and Rochford Clinical Commissioning Group also stopped its Sepsis training session and Mencap Southend shut down services to stop the outbreak spreading.

Jill Allen-King OBE, 78, from Westcliff said: “These parents who will not have their children vaccinated make me really cross.

“It is disgraceful, they do not realise the impact the condition can have.

“I had to have my left eye removed at the age of one and then went blind in the other eye due to measles destroying the optic nerve.

“I think everyone is at risk and all children should be vaccinated.

“It is very serious, people think it won’t happen to them but it did happen to me and thousands of others too.

“It concerns me that parents say they don’t want their children to have the vaccination, people should feel lucky they have the opportunity to have the jab.

“People need to be on alert and taking this very seriously.”

She said more needs to be done and everyone should be encourage to have the vaccination in light of the outbreak.

Southend Council said residents who have been vaccinated have no cause for concern.

Councillor Trevor Harp, cabinet for health and adult social care: “You have no cause for concern if you have been immunised or if you were born before the 1970s, as you will almost certainly have been exposed to the virus already and developed natural immunity.

“We have contacted all our service providers for adults with learning disabilities and given them the appropriate public health advice.

“The feedback from them has been very positive and they have been supportive and co-operative.

“The vaccination schedule is being updated all the time.”

Mr Harp said the council is offering vaccinations to staff of affected services and their service users.

He added: “We are hoping most will be able to open on Monday and we are advising affected service providers on how to undertake a risk assessment to determine when they can safely re-open.”