Health chiefs were tonight ordered to boost the number of children vaccinated against measles.
Only 87.2% of children have the second dose of the jab, down from a high of 88.6% in 2014-15.
Experts believe the falling rate is behind the spread of the disease.
There were 231 confirmed cases of measles in the UK during the first quarter of 2019, and Britain has lost its “measles-free” status with the World Health Organisation three years after the virus was eliminated in the country.
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Public Health England head of immunisation Dr Mary Ramsay said: “Losing our measles-free status is a stark reminder of how important it is that every eligible person gets vaccinated.
“Elimination can only be sustained by maintaining and improving coverage of the MMR vaccine.
“Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known to man – only one person travelling back to an area with lower vaccination rates can lead to an outbreak.
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“Anyone who has not received two doses of MMR vaccine is always at risk.”
Boris Johnson will call for more kids to be vaccinated when he visits a hospital in the South West today.
The Prime Minister said: “After a period of progress where we were once able to declare Britain measles free, we’ve now seen hundreds of cases of measles in the UK this year.
(Image: Downing Street/PA)
“One case of this horrible disease is too many, and I am determined to step up our efforts to tackle its spread.
“This is a global challenge and there’s a number of reasons why people don’t get themselves or their children the vaccines they need, but we need decisive action across our health service and society to make sure communities are properly immunised.
“From reassuring parents about the safety of vaccines, to making sure people are attending follow-up appointments, we can and must do more to halt the spread of infectious, treatable diseases in modern-day Britain.”
