We are a sitting duck for measles outbreak

Experts warn we are vulnerable as UK declares ‘national incident’

AS the UK declares a ‘national incident’ over a major measles outbreak, experts here warned that falling vaccination rates are leaving us a ‘sitting duck’.

Cases of the highly infectious virus doubled across England and Wales in 2023, as vaccination rates have slumped to a ten-year low.

The West Midlands is currently battling its biggest measles outbreak since the 1990s, prompting the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to declare a ‘national incident’.

There has been no outbreaks detected in Ireland yet but with vaccination levels here below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended 95%, the country is vulnerable.

Dr Yvonne Williams, a GP from Co. Clare, says measles is one of the most infectious viral diseases to affect humans and that it is difficult to stop a spread once it takes hold in a community, as it takes up to 12 days for symptoms to show.

She told Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio One: ‘Vaccination rates have fallen in the UK as they have in Ireland, so at the moment we are sitting ducks, in the sense that we are vulnerable.

‘There are very few areas in Ireland which have reached our target of 95% or 96% of our kids being vaccinated.’

She noted that the high rates of travel between Ireland and the UK are a concern with regard to the spread of measles.

Dr Williams said: ‘Generally what happens in the UK, then we often follow suit.’

She confirmed that the HSE contacted her and other GPs last May, asking them to be vigilant and to report any cases of measles immediately to the public health team, so cases could be isolated.

Dr Williams says measles could lead to serious illness, with one or two deaths per 1,000 cases, 40 cases of pneumonia and others getting chest infections or brain complications.

Many children in particular get very sick from the disease and a quarter have to go to hospital.

She says there has been a big variation around Ireland in terms of uptake of the MMR vaccine, with Dublin East increasing vaccinations by 7% and Monaghan and Cavan recording a fall of 7%.

The average rate is now as low as between 86% and 88%, while the WHO advises a 95% level and the HSE has set a 96% target.

Dr Williams feels that part of the reason for the fall could be the redeployment of public health teams during Covid and the closure of schools. The second dose of the vaccine is usually administered in school to schildren in Junior Infants.

She says anyone who thinks their child missed the 12-month jab or primary school booster can get the vaccine from their GP.

A HSE spokeswoman says that to date in 2024, there have been no confirmed cases of measles reported in Ireland.

For dose one of MMR offered to children at 12 months of age through GP practices, the uptake coming up to June 2023 was 89.2% nationally. For the second dose, offered when children are in Junior Infants, the uptake in 2021 to 2022 was 87.5%.

The spokeswoman advises that if a family member has been in contact with someone with measles, people should let their doctor know immediately and get medical advice. She adds: ‘Keep the

‘Vaccination rates have fallen’

‘Keep the child or adult at home’

child or adult at home and stop visitors coming to your home unless they know they are protected against measles.’

UKHSA chief Jenny Harries has begged British parents to check their child’s immunisation status, warning that the public have ‘forgotten what measles is like’ and that it is still a ‘serious illness’.

The agency says tens of thousands of children missed out on the MMR vaccine because of the now-debunked autism fears raised by discredited medic Andrew Wakefield.

Further information about the MMR vaccination is available at www.immunisation.ie.