Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.irishmedicalnews.ie/inde.../article/1-news/526-measles-outbreak-forecast
Measles outbreak forecast
Written by IMN Monday, 01 December 2008 14:31
GPs were advised at the ICGP Winter Meet*ing to encourage parents to have their children immunised with the MMR vaccine to protect against an expected measles outbreak.
Dr Anna Clarke, a consultant in public health medicine with the HSE, warned that without an increase in the uptake of the MMR vaccine, herd immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella would remain poor, as can be seen in the high levels of mumps being reported at the moment.
Currently, the vaccine has a 89 per cent uptake among infants up to 24 months, which is shy of the national target. ?Our MMR uptake hasn?t come up to 95 per cent [the national target] yet; it?s at 89 per cent, so it?s promising.
?Many of you know there?s a lot of mumps around at the moment because we don?t have good herd immunity and we?re expecting a measles outbreak. ?So, just the encouragement of the MMR vaccine is hugely important [to public health],? she told the meeting, held in Dublin on November 22.
Statistics from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) show there has been an increase in the number of cases for all three diseases so far this year. In the last week where figures are available (week 45), which is the first week of last month, the HPSC was notified of 57 cases of mumps, bringing the number of patients who have been diagnosed as having them to 849 this year ? 736 more than the same period from last year.
Figures for measles show there has been an extra 11 cases so far this year, while there have been 21 more reports of rubella across the country.
Measles outbreak forecast
Written by IMN Monday, 01 December 2008 14:31
GPs were advised at the ICGP Winter Meet*ing to encourage parents to have their children immunised with the MMR vaccine to protect against an expected measles outbreak.
Dr Anna Clarke, a consultant in public health medicine with the HSE, warned that without an increase in the uptake of the MMR vaccine, herd immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella would remain poor, as can be seen in the high levels of mumps being reported at the moment.
Currently, the vaccine has a 89 per cent uptake among infants up to 24 months, which is shy of the national target. ?Our MMR uptake hasn?t come up to 95 per cent [the national target] yet; it?s at 89 per cent, so it?s promising.
?Many of you know there?s a lot of mumps around at the moment because we don?t have good herd immunity and we?re expecting a measles outbreak. ?So, just the encouragement of the MMR vaccine is hugely important [to public health],? she told the meeting, held in Dublin on November 22.
Statistics from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) show there has been an increase in the number of cases for all three diseases so far this year. In the last week where figures are available (week 45), which is the first week of last month, the HPSC was notified of 57 cases of mumps, bringing the number of patients who have been diagnosed as having them to 849 this year ? 736 more than the same period from last year.
Figures for measles show there has been an extra 11 cases so far this year, while there have been 21 more reports of rubella across the country.