How are you working with boroughs and public health partners across London to monitor and mitigate the reported rise in liver inflammation (Hepatitis) in children in London?

I continue to meet regularly with London’s senior NHS and public health leaders from UKHSA and OHID, and receive comprehensive briefings on the health and care system.  I am aware of the unusually high number of acute hepatitis cases being seen in children in the past few weeks. This increase in cases has been seen across the world, with at least 20 countries reporting probable cases to the WHO.

The UK Health Security Agency is working with the NHS, a wide range of experts and with public health colleagues across the UK to find the cause as soon as possible. UKHSA is publishing regular updates on the ongoing investigation, including detailed technical reports, and is briefing the borough directors of public health on a regular basis.

Parents, GPs and other healthcare workers have been asked to look out for the symptoms of jaundice as well as other symptoms of hepatitis in children. It is important that parents know the likelihood of their child developing hepatitis is extremely low.