An Oldham pharmacy is taking part in a pilot scheme offering the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to children without any need for an appointment.

Imaan Pharmacy, on Oxford Street, Werneth, is one of 15 pharmacies in Greater Manchester and 43 pharmacies in the North West taking part in the trial.

Starting on Monday (April 8), anyone aged five or over who has missed their MMR vaccine can walk into the pharmacy and get their vaccination without needing an appointment.

The NHS has said that patients may have to wait for the pharmacist to become available and if the pharmacist is booked up, they may will be invited to return for a planned appointment.

The scheme is part of an effort to support a national call and recall of under-vaccinated children and to help increase MMR vaccines.

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The trial follows on from phases one and two of the NHS MMR vaccine catch-up campaign targeting Greater Manchester, West Midlands and London. 

These areas have been targeted as people there are more at risk due to the number of people who are not up to date with their MMR vaccinations.

Phase one saw over a million parents and carers of 6-11 years-olds in England, including Greater Manchester, that were not up to date with their MMR vaccinations sent emails, letters and texts inviting them to book a vaccine appointment for their children.

Phase two involved more than 900,000 adults aged 19 to 25 and 200,000 16-19 year-olds invited to book an appointment for their missed MMR vaccine.

Measles is one of the world’s most infectious diseases with estimates showing that one infected adult or child can pass the disease onto around 15 other unvaccinated people, with the disease spreading very easily.

Catching measles can lead to life changing issues for adults and children, such as blindness, deafness and swelling of the brain (encephalitis), while babies, pregnant women, and people with weakened immunity, are at increased risk of these complications. 

There is currently no medical treatment for measles, however, two doses of the MMR vaccine can give someone effective lifelong protection against becoming seriously unwell with the disease.