THOUSANDS of young people across Sussex are at risk of catching measles and mumps because they have not been vaccinated.

Health bosses are urging teenagers and young adults who may have missed out on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab as a child to get themselves protected.

It is feared cases could increase as the new school year gets under way and the county’s three universities get a new intake of undergraduates.

There have been 84 confirmed cases of mumps across the county so far this year, which is getting close to the 104 recorded for the whole of 2013.

Cases of measles have also risen slightly, with six cases so far this year, including three in Brighton and Hove, compared to four across all of Sussex last year.

It is believed the actual number of people with mumps and measles is higher than recorded because not every case is sent for testing.

The numbers are well short of the more than 330 cases of measles reported in the epidemic that spread across the county in 2012.

However authorities fear there could be another outbreak in the future if not enough people are protected.

Many younger people did not have the MMR vaccination because of now-discredited fears about its link with autism.

Take up rates for both doses of the vaccine dropped steeply in the immediate aftermath of the scare in the late 1990s.

Around 95% of a population needs to be vaccinated in order to protect vulnerable members of the community, such as babies and those with lowered immune systems, from becoming infected.

Take up rates in Sussex currently range between 86% and 88%. An MMR vaccine catch-up campaign has been launched to help get as many people as possible vaccinated.

A spokesman for NHS England’s Sussex region said: “We know that the MMR vaccine provides safe and effective protection against measles, mumps and rubella.

“It has been shown across the world to be a safe and effective way of preventing measles and mumps and can protect your child and others against these infections and their serious consequences.

“Measles, mumps and rubella are highly contagious infectious diseases and spread very easily.

“You can catch measles if you spend just 15 minutes with someone who has the disease.”

For more details, visit nhs.uk