Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 378 cases; 41 hospitalized

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Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 371 cases; 41 hospitalized

Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 371 cases; 41 hospitalized

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/h...es-not-protected-from-measles-91466-24338437/


10,000 children in Wales not protected from measles

Aug 7 2009 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

MORE than 10,000 children in Wales? anti-MMR heartland have no protection against measles, alarming figures reveal today.

Despite attempts to increase MMR coverage in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend, the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) figures show that 10,820 children have not had the jab.

And a further 3,500 have so far only had one dose of the triple measles, mumps and rubella vaccine since May ? the start of Wales? largest measles outbreak in a generation.

The huge number of children at risk of developing measles, mumps or rubella is an indication of how entrenched opposition to and concern about the safety of MMR is in the region.

Parental confidence in the vaccine remains low, more than a decade after Dr Andrew Wakefield linked the vaccine to autism and bowel disease.

Many parents remain unconvinced by the huge weight of scientific evidence about MMR?s safety and unmoved by the Wales-wide outbreak of measles, which has seen 41 people admitted to hospital and more than 370 infected.

An outbreak of measles has also been declared on the Gellideg estate, near Merthyr Tydfil.

Dr Mac Walapu, consultant in communicable disease control for the NPHS and chair of the measles outbreak control team for the Swansea, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot area, said: ?It?s good news that 4,619 parents have been encouraged to protect their children with the MMR vaccination since we started our campaign to increase uptake and that almost 1,000 children who were previously vulnerable are now fully vaccinated.

?However, unfortunately we still have thousands of unprotected children who have not benefited from the routine childhood immunisation programme.

?We continue to see new measles cases not only in this area but across Wales, with a new outbreak just declared in Merthyr Tydfil.

?With so many children still unprotected, the outbreak could continue for some time and can only be halted by an increase in MMR uptake.?

The number of cases of measles has been highest in south-west and west Wales, where opposition to MMR was greatest.

To date there have been 71 cases of measles in Swansea, 36 in Neath Port Talbot and 26 in Bridgend.

Two doses of MMR give children 99% protection against measles, mumps and rubella.

The first dose should be given at 13 months and the second at around three years and four months.

Dr Nina Williams, local public health director for Swansea and Bridgend, said: ?Every household in the area with unprotected children has received letters urging parents to contact their general practice and the doctors, nurses, local health board and NHS trust staff across the patch have pulled out all the stops to cope with vaccinating the additional numbers of unprotected children.?

Dr Annie Delahunty, local public health director for Neath Port Talbot, added: ?If you say no to the vaccine, you are saying yes to measles, as well as mumps and rubella.

?In our area alone, there have been 133 cases of measles to date and 41 children have been hospitalised across Wales, so no-one can afford to be complacent about the risk to our most vulnerable children.

?For as long as there are children who do not receive their MMR vaccinations, there is the potential for people to become ill with measles.

?It is a serious disease and sadly children do die from this infection.

?Complications are common and rarely can include brain damage.?

 

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Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 371 cases; 41 hospitalized

Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 371 cases; 41 hospitalized

Source: http://www.go-bridgend.co.uk/latest/121-brigend-measles-outbreak.html

Brigend Measles Outbreak
Written by Richard Winters

The worst measles outbreak in Wales in years has seen at least 374 cases in the Neath-Port Talbot, Swansea and Bridgend areas. This could result in long term problems: the National Public Health Service (NPHS) for Wales says the outbreak "could continue for some time" without more children having the MMR vaccine.
Nearly a thousand extra children have been given both doses of the vaccine as the result of a drive, and a further three and half thousand have been given the first jab, but nearly eleven thousand are at risk. Parents have been reluctant to allow their children to receive the MMR vaccine because of bad publicity surrounding the jab.
Dr Mac Walapu chairs the team tackling the outbreak in Swansea, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot area: He said: "It's good news that 4,619 parents have been encouraged to protect their children with the MMR vaccination since we started our campaign to increase uptake and that almost 1,000 children who were previously vulnerable are now fully vaccinated.
"However, unfortunately we still have thousands of unprotected children who have not benefited from the routine childhood immunisation programme.
"We continue to see new measles cases not only in this area but across Wales, with a new outbreak just declared in Merthyr Tydfil.
"With so many children still unprotected, the outbreak could continue for some time and can only be halted by an increase in MMR uptake."
The NPHS said children should receive their first dose of the MMR vaccine at 13 months of age and the second at around three years and four months of age. Letters had been sent to every household in the area which has children who have not had the vaccine, said the NPHS.
Dr Annie Delahunty, Neath Port Talbot's public health director, said: "Remember, if you say no to the vaccine, you are saying yes to measles, as well as mumps and rubella.

 

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Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 375 cases; 41 hospitalized

Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 375 cases; 41 hospitalized

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/c...les-case-confirmed-in-merthyr-91466-24395617/


New measles case confirmed in Merthyr

Aug 13 2009 by Madeleine Brindley, South Wales Echo


ANOTHER person has been confirmed to have measles in an outbreak on the Gellideg estate in Merthyr Tydfil.

The virus has so far affected 17 people in the borough ? 16 of the cases are linked to the outbreak.

There have now been 375 cases of measles in Wales and National Public Health Service for Wales experts are also investigating 543 cases of mumps in the first half of this year.

The reappearance of measles has been linked to the ongoing low MMR take-up rates.

Dr Marion Lyons, head of the health protection teams for the NPHS, said: ?There remains a serious risk to any child who has not received two doses of the MMR vaccine.?

 

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Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 378 cases; 41 hospitalized

Source: http://www.teletext.co.uk/regionaln...a8bc95538d306ec1/Measles+cases+confirmed.aspx

Measles cases confirmed

Three new cases of measles have been confirmed in Merthyr Tydfil, where a cluster of cases had been reported.

This brings the nationwide total to 378 cases. The National Public Health Service for Wales has written to GPs in the area to alert them to dangers.

It wants to encourage patients to come forward for vaccination, and GPs to be aware of symptoms.

 

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Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 378 cases; 41 hospitalized

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...r-jab-falls-in-outbreak-areas-91466-24551424/


Children having MMR jab falls in outbreak areas
Aug 28 2009 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail


THE number of children who have had both doses of the MMR jab has fallen in parts of Wales worst affected by the measles outbreak.

The latest figures show slight falls in the anti-MMR heartland, where opposition to the triple jab has been strongest.

The findings, published by the National Public Health Service for Wales yesterday, suggest tens of thousands of children remain at risk from measles, mumps and rubella because they have not had a full course of the triple vaccine.

School nurses will now work with the NPHS to identify children who have not been vaccinated. Arrangements will be put in place to offer them MMR as soon as possible in the new school term.

There have been 380 cases of measles in Wales this year and 41 people, including children under two, have been treated in hospital after catching the highly-infectious virus.

Separate outbreaks have been declared in Llandudno and Gellideg, near Merthyr Tydfil, in one of the worst years for measles for more than a decade.

Dr Ian Millington, secretary of Morgannwg Local Medical Committee, said: ?It is sad that people are more convinced by false science than they are by the advice of almost all the doctors in the world that MMR is an effective vaccine that protects against measles.

?A colleague in an area where there has been an outbreak set up a session to vaccinate those unprotected children, and less than a third turned up.

?It is distressing and I don?t know why some people are prepared to let children get these illnesses rather than prevent them.?

Despite falls in the number of five-year-old children who have had the necessary two doses of MMR in Bridgend, Ceredigion, Powys and parts of North Wales, the all-Wales MMR rate has improved.

Nationwide, 84.7% of five-year- olds have had two doses of MMR.

And the NPHS has calculated that almost 6,500 parents across Wales have arranged catch-up vaccinations for their children since April.

A total of 2,465 children between four and 16 have now had their first MMR vaccination and another 4,006 children have completed the course.

Dr Richard Roberts, head of the NPHS vaccine preventable disease programme, said: ?These figures are encouraging and show parents have responded to the news of a Wales-wide measles outbreak by rethinking their decision not to vaccinate their children with MMR.

?Although the spread of the outbreak has slowed over the summer holidays, it is likely that we will see more cases of measles when the new school term starts and children begin to mix with each other on a daily basis again.

?We are reminding any parent whose child has not yet received two doses of MMR and is overdue for these vaccinations, that they should speak to their GP urgently before the new term starts.?

Parental confidence in MMR was rocked by the publication of research in 1998 by Dr Andrew Wakefield linking the vaccine to autism and bowel disease.

Those findings have repeatedly been refuted and dismissed and Dr Wakefield is currently involved in a General Medical Council hearing.

Dr Tony Jewell, Wales? chief medical officer, said: ?I cannot stress the importance of vaccination enough.

?It is the simplest, safest and most effective way of protecting people from a range of serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses.

?There is overwhelming agreement from doctors and scientists world- wide, that MMR vaccination is the best way to protect people against measles, mumps and rubella and that the vaccine has an exemplary safety record.?

Dr Roberts added: ?We cannot emphasise enough that measles is an illness that can kill, or leave patients with permanent complications, including severe brain damage.

?More than one in 10 of the children who have been infected with measles in Wales so far this year have been ill enough to need hospital admission.

?The only way to prevent outbreaks of measles is to ensure that over 95% of children in Wales have received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

?Although our uptake figures are improving steadily, we still have to keep working to protect all Welsh children from measles.?

 

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Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 378 cases; 41 hospitalized

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...ould-trigger-measles-outbreak-91466-24567644/


Return to school could trigger measles outbreak

Aug 31 2009 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail


THE return to school could trigger a resurgence of measles across Wales, experts have said.

This year has seen an explosion in cases of the highly infectious virus, with the highest rates of measles in more than a decade.

The National Public Health Service for Wales and Wales? chief medical officer Dr Tony Jewell have repeatedly urged parents to ensure their children have had two doses of MMR to protect them.

The nationwide measles outbreak has affected more than 370 adults and children ? 41 people, including children under two, have been admitted to hospital for treatment.

The rate and number of measles infections has slowed over the summer, although an outbreak on the Gellideg estate, near Merthyr Tydfil, was declared on August 3.

But experts believe tens of thousands of children are still at risk across Wales because they have not had two doses of MMR.

Dr Meirion Evans, a consultant epidemiologist at the National Public Health Service for Wales, said: ?In South West Wales we have 10,000 children in schools who are not fully protected with MMR so they will be vulnerable to measles.

?Whether or not it spreads and takes off again depends on a variety of factors.

?We have seen outbreaks of measles in traveller communities where there is very low MMR coverage, sometimes measles has been restricted to these groups and sometimes it has spilled over into the local population.

?If we do have groups like that with very low MMR coverage, it allows measles to get going again and move into the general community where it spreads quite quickly once it gets into schools.

?There is a likelihood that we will see more measles once children go back to school ? in the days of the big epidemics it would be quiet during the summer and come back in autumn and winter.?

The reappearance of measles and mumps ? there have been 543 cases in Wales between January and June this year ? has been blamed on low MMR vaccination rates.

Parental confidence in the triple measles. mumps and rubella jab plummeted after Dr Andrew Wakefield linked the vaccine to autism and bowel disease in 1998.

Although there has been some evidence of a steady recovery in confidence, in some communities worryingly few children have had two doses of MMR.

Recent research by the NPHS suggests that 10,820 children in Wales? anti-MMR heartland ? Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend ? have not had the jab.

The first measles vaccine was introduced in 1968 and helped to prevent the large epidemics in which up to half a million children would be affected every couple of years.

Dr Evans said: ?Even with the low coverage levels of MMR herd immunity is still at about 75% to 80% and, for that reason, we no longer see these very big epidemics every couple of years.

?But we do see sparks and sometimes they will ignite a fire. We are seeing sparks now and we have seen local fires earlier this year.

?There is every chance that we will see it again as we move into the autumn.?

Dr Marion Lyons, head of the health protection teams for the NPHS, added: ?The declaration of a new measles outbreak in Merthyr Tydfil should serve as a reminder to the parents of unvaccinated children that we will continue to see clusters of cases that spread rapidly until we reach our target for MMR vaccination.

?Parents need to be concerned if their children are not vaccinated, regardless of where they live in Wales. There remains a serious risk to any child who has not received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

?Although most patients in the current outbreak are recovering well, 41 people have needed hospital treatment. Children can be left permanently brain damaged or can even die of measles. Complications of mumps include meningitis and deafness.

?If your child is not vaccinated, we cannot guarantee they will not catch measles and we cannot guarantee they will make a full recovery if they do become unwell.?

Dr Tony Jewell, Wales? chief medical officer, said: ?I cannot stress the importance of vaccination enough.

?It is the simplest, safest and most effective way of protecting people from a range of serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses.

?Because of our vaccination programmes, we no longer see epidemics of diphtheria, whooping cough or polio that previous generations did.

?However, this does depend on maintaining high levels of uptake of the vaccination programmes.

?There is overwhelming agreement from doctors and scientists world-wide, that MMR vaccination is the best way to protect people against measles, mumps and rubella and that the vaccine has an exemplary safety record.

?With the fall in MMR uptake from the mid 1990s we have large numbers of children in Wales at risk and this year we have seen outbreaks across Wales with 380 cases of measles and 654 cases of mumps.

?Schools, as part of their admission processes, can also ask about vaccination status and encourage parents to make sure their children are vaccinated, as measles can spread rapidly in schools putting other children at risk.

?If children have missed either of their routine appointments parents should contact their GP surgery to arrange for them to receive the MMR vaccine. It is simple, quick and free.?

 

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Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 378 cases; 41 hospitalized

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...ke-hits-12-year-high-in-wales-91466-25414988/


MMR uptake hits 12-year high in Wales

Dec 17 2009 Madeleine Brindley, WalesOnline

THE number of children having the MMR jab has hit a 12-year high in Wales as parental confidence in the vaccine returns, new figures show.

The increase follows the UK's largest outbreak of measles since the introduction of the triple measles, mumps and rubella jab in 1988. Almost 400 children caught measles between May and November this year across Wales.

But despite the increase in MMR uptake, public health experts today warned that Wales is still falling short of the target needed to stop measles, mumps and rubella from circulating.

The latest COVER report, for July to Septmeber 2009, reveals that the uptake of the first dose of MMR in children reaching their second birthday was 92% - its highest rate in 12 years.

It also shows that uptake of the second dose of MMR in children reaching their fifth birthday rose to its highest ever rate ? 86%.

The figures suggest that parental confidence in the jab has been restored following the MMR scare, which was sparked by Dr Andrew Wakefield's 1998 research linking the vaccine to autism and bowel disease. His findings have since been discredited.

The World Health Organisation recommends a 95% MMR takeup rate to ensure herd immunity against these potentially lethal diseases.