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Children who missed an MMR vaccination can have a "catch-up" jab
People who believe the myths spread by anti-vaccine campaigners "are absolutely wrong," England's top doctor has said.
Prof. Sally Davies said the MMR was currently "not good enough".
In England, 87% of children receive two doses but the target is 95%.
The chief medical officer urged parents to get their children vaccinated and ignore "social media fake news".
Her comments come on the 30th anniversary of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine being introduced in the UK.
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Damaging beliefs
She said that it is one of the most common causes of MMR vaccination.
"A number of people, stars, believe these myths – they are wrong," she said.
Over these 30 years, we have vaccinated millions of children.
"It is a safe vaccination – we know that – and we've saved millions of lives across the world.
"People who spread these myths, when children will not be there to pick up the pieces or the blame."
Prof. Sally Davies said people should not be taken in by mythical myths on social media
The MMR vaccine has dramatically reduced cases of measles, mumps and rubella, and saved about 4,000 deaths from measles, resulting in the UK being declared "measles free" by the World Health Organization last year.
This means the disease is no longer in the UK, although cases do still occur.
However, there was so much in the history of measles in England this year – 903 so far, and young people who had missed out on the MMR vaccine had been particularly affected.
Uptake of the MMR vaccine has reached 87%.
"That means a lot of protection but it does not give us herd immunity," Dame Sally said.
"So when people are coming from, traveling infected, it is spreading into our local communities."
Catch-up jabs
The MMR vaccine is given on the NHS as a single injection to babies, usually within a month of their first birthday.
They then have a second injection before starting school, when three years old.
Children who missed an earlier MMR vaccination can have a "catch-up" jab on the NHS.
Single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are available but not on the NHS in the UK.
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Two doses of the MMR vaccine are given to children before they start school in the UK
In 1998, a study by Andrew Wakefield was incorrectly linked to the MMR vaccine to autism. The research is now completely discredited.
But it had an impact on the coverage of the vaccine, which dropped to about 80% in the late 1990s and a low of 79% in 2003.
Numerous public health campaigns have increased uptake in the years since.
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