THE number of confirmed measles cases in the North- East has almost doubled in ten days.

Last night, officials from the North-East branch of the Health Protection Agency (HPA) released figures showing a rise from 37 to 65 since last Tuesday. There are also more than 100 suspected cases being investigated.

So far, in the worst outbreak of measles in the region for nearly 20 years, most confirmed and suspected cases are in the Hartlepool area.

Last week, there were 22 confirmed cases in the town, but last night officials said that had risen to 37. Across the rest of Teesside, there are four confirmed cases and 24 suspected cases.

But despite extra immunisation clinics being laid on in the Hartlepool area, NHS officials estimate only about ten per cent of the 200 or so families that have missed out on MMR jabs have come forward to have their children immunised.

The number of confirmed cases in County Durham and Darlington has risen from six to ten, with the number of suspected cases more than doubling from ten to 25.

The HPA is advising the parents of children who are not fully immunised and may have missed a second MMR jab, to make an appointment with their family doctor.

Only 85 per cent of eligible children have had both doses of the vaccine by their fifth birthday, which is well below the Government target of 95 per cent.

Measles is a viral infection, most commonly found in young children who have not been immunised.

Adults can also catch measles if they have not had it before or have not been immunised against it.

It starts with a fever, followed by a cough, runny nose and red, sore eyes.

A red measles rash then spreads from the face and neck down the body, before fading after about five days.

The measles virus lives in the nose and throat of infected people and is caught through coughs and sneezes.

Measles can cause complications such as ear and chest infections and even pneumonia.