046-9430098

Information For Patients

Measles outbreak – Ireland 2016

Information For Patients, Latest News | 08. Jul, 2016 by | Comments Off on Measles outbreak – Ireland 2016

An outbreak of measles has been declared in Ireland. Several cases have been identified and the areas most affected are the East, South and Midwest. All cases have been in those under 30 years of age, with most cases occurring in the 15-19 age group. Most of those who have been infected did not know they had been in contact with measles. Most had not had the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine. Updated HSE information on the outbreak can be found on  http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/furthermeasles.html

Measles is very contagious and can affect anyone at any age.

Vaccination with MMR vaccine is the only way to protect against measles.

In Ireland the first MMR dose is given by GPs at 12 months of age, and the second dose is given to Junior Infants at school by HSE vaccination teams or by GPs in Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim.

 

What should young adults and parents do?

 

Make sure you or your children are up to date with their MMR vaccines.

Please go to your GP now for MMR vaccination if

  •  you have not had 2 MMR vaccines
  •  you have a preschool or primary school child who never had MMR vaccine
  •  you have a primary school aged child who missed out on the 2nd dose of MMR vaccine in Junior Infants
  •  you are not sure if your child has had the full course of 2 doses
  •  There is no change to the recommendations from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) – MMR vaccine is recommended at 12 months and 4-5 years of age. The vaccine is available for healthcare professionals to order free of charge through the National Cold Chain Service.

What about children under 12 months of age? 

There is no change to the recommendations from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) – MMR vaccine is recommended at 12 months and 4-5 years of age.

MMR vaccine may take up to 4 weeks to be effective.

The vaccine is available for healthcare professionals to order free of charge through the National Cold Chain Service.

More information is available on the links below 

What are measles, mumps and rubella?

Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) are highly infectious diseases caused by viruses.

 

How do people get measles, mumps and rubella?

Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) are spread by close contact with an infected person.

 

What are the symptoms of measles, mumps and rubella?

Measles causes fever, cough, red and painful eyes, and a rash.

Mumps causes swollen neck glands and a fever.

Rubella (German measles) causes a rash, fever and swollen glands. If a pregnant woman gets rubella in early pregnancy it may cause major birth defects in the baby.

If a pregnant woman gets rubella in early pregnancy 9 in 10 babies will have a major birth defect, such as deafness, blindness, brain damage or heart defects.

 

Who should get MMR vaccine?

MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). It is a live vaccine which means it contains weakened forms of the measles, mumps and rubella viruses.

MMR vaccine is given to babies at 12 months of age.

Children should get a second dose at 4-5 years of age. This is usually given at school by the HSE’s school immunisation teams but in some areas it is given by the child’s GP.

Two doses of MMR vaccine are required to give the best protection.

Some children may have missed their two doses of MMR vaccine and this has led to recent outbreaks of mumps and measles.

Older children and young adults who have not completed (or are not sure they have completed) their two dose MMR vaccination schedule should be vaccinated as soon as possible.

 

 

Who should not get the MMR vaccine?

The MMR vaccine is safe for most people.

However, you or your child should not get the vaccine if they have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous MMR vaccine or any part of the vaccine or a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic called neomycin.

The vaccine should not be given to anyone who is pregnant.

You should delay getting the vaccine if your child:

  • is ill with a fever
  • has had another live vaccine, e.g. the BCG vaccine, within the previous four weeks
  • is on high dose steroids
  • is having any treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy
  • is on treatment with Protopic ointment for severe eczema
  • has any illness or disease that affects their immune systemIf a person’s immune system is severely affected, by illness or treatment, they may not be able to get the vaccine. Yes – MMR vaccine can be given to children with a severe egg allergy.  A severe allergy to the MMR vaccine is extremely rare even in children with a serious egg allergy.  It is not necessary to avoid the MMR vaccine if your child dislikes eggs or has diarrhoea or stomach pains after eating eggs and you do not need to take any special precautions.  If you have any doubts, talk to the doctor or nurse giving the immunisation.Is there a link between the MMR vaccine and autism or bowel disease? Over the past 30 years, more than 500 million doses of MMR vaccine have been given in over 90 countries.  Experts from around the world, including the World Health Organization, agree that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism or inflammatory bowel disease.The General Medical Council in the UK in May 2010 decided that Dr Andrew Wakefield should be removed from the medical register after finding him guilty of serious professional misconduct and unethical behaviour in relation to research he carried out on children.  Dr Wakefield used the results of this research to falsely represent a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.  For more information
  • Source: www.hse.ie
  • Studies to see if children who have been immunised are more likely to have these conditions have shown that there is no link between the conditions and vaccines.  Extensive research into the MMR vaccine, involving thousands of children, was carried out in the UK, the USA, Sweden, and Finland.  This research showed that there is no link between MMR and autism.  A study looked at the vaccination records of every child born in Denmark from 1991 to 1998 (over half a million children). During that time, 82% of children born in Denmark received the MMR vaccine. The researchers found that the risk of autism was the same in immunised children and in children who had not been immunised.
  • We know that vaccines don’t cause autism, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, allergies, asthma or attention deficit disorder (hyperactivity). However, when things happen around the same time we can think that there is a link between the two things. For example, the signs of autism usually become noticeable at about the age when children are given the MMR vaccine, but one does not cause the other.  The majority of children are immunised, therefore children with and children without conditions such as autism, asthma or attention deficit disorder are just as likely to have received the same immunisations.
  • Should my child get MMR vaccine if they have an egg allergy?
  • If you have any concerns, talk to your family doctor or public health nurse.
  • If your child is on any of the treatments listed above you should discuss vaccination with your child’s doctor.