In a blog by the UK Health Security Agency it is reported that in 2024 there were 2,911 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England, the highest number of cases recorded annually since 2012. Most of these cases were in unvaccinated children under the age of 10. The agency further reports that more than 1 in 10 eligible children under the age of 5 have not had the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine or are only partially vaccinated, indicating a decline in vaccination rate over the last 15 years. ‘Vaccinations remain the best defence against infection, so it is very important that children attend their routine vaccination appointments and catch up on any they may have missed.’
Language: English
Over-medicalisation and Over-diagnosis
The current UK Labour government faces significant concerns about the rising percentage of the population diagnosed with disabilities, leading to an increased number of individuals registered as unable to work. This surge places a substantial strain on benefit costs, hampering government efforts to reduce borrowing and stimulate economic growth. In response, the government plans to introduce more stringent criteria for disability diagnosis and to increase support for rehabilitation programs to help more people return to work . Meanwhile, these concerns have been echoed for many years now by some medical professionals worried about over-diagnosis and the growing tendency to medicalise everyday life problems, especially in the field of psychiatry. This discourse is reflected in the publication this year of least three books in the UK, addressing these concerns:
• No More Normal: Mental Health in an Age of Over-Diagnosis by Alistair Santhouse.
• Searching for Normal: A New Approach to Understanding Distress and Neurodiversity. by Sami Timimi.
• The Age of Diagnosis: Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far by Suzanne O’Sullivan.
Ineffective Fertility Treatments
A national patient survey conducted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) on the experiences of 1,500 fertility-treatment patients in the UK has found that three quarters of patients are being offered unnecessary add-on treatments that ‘are not proven to increase the change of having a baby’. In fact, this has been happening for several years now and in 2016 was the subject of both a Panorama undercover investigation on BBC 1 television and a paper published in the online journal BMJ Open.
The Association for Skeptical Enquiry
Conference on Research Integrity
A 2.5 day conference bringing together an international group of experts representing different constituencies to discuss what should be done about the growing problem of research fraud.
‘Fostering Accountability for the Integrity of Research Studies’ (FAIRS) Oxford, 7-9th April, 2025. For programme and other details see: https://www.sjcfairsmeeting.com/ (switch off VPN if it fails to load). The website has the programme and a link to the booking form; registration including meals is £180, or for online attendance, £20. There are some in-person places reserved for students etc at a cheaper rate.