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THERE HAVE BEEN 13 reported cases of measles in Dublin in recent weeks, it has been confirmed.
The HSE said the Department of Public Health East is currently “managing a measles outbreak in the north Dublin area”.
Since July, there have been 13 measles cases in adults and children in Dublin’s north inner city.
Transmission has occurred in a number of hospitals and in households with “poor vaccine uptake”, the HSE said, adding that people are now presenting with measles in the wider inner city community.
There have been no deaths from measles associated with this outbreak to date.
Speaking about the situation, Dr Ruth McDermott, Public Health Doctor, said: “Measles can be a serious illness and is highly infectious. The best protection is to be fully vaccinated with two doses of MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine.”
People at increased risk of getting measles are those who are not fully vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine or who have not had measles in the past. The risk of infection remains for up to 21 days after contact with a case of measles.
If you think you may have measles, stay at home and phone your General Practitioner (GP) for advice.
People who are sick should not attend any congregated settings such as crèche, school, work or religious gatherings until they have recovered from illness.
The rate of measles infections across Europe has reached a record high - more than 41,000 children and adults were infected with measles in the first six months of 2018, according to the World Health Organization.
Measles symptoms include:
Measures to prevent the spread of measles if you think you may have the condition:
Risk of measles from international travel:
There are ongoing outbreaks of measles in multiple countries in Europe and worldwide. Most of the cases in the EU in 2018 were reported from Romania, France, Greece and Italy.
Most people who get measles on holiday do not know they were exposed until they develop disease, the HSE said. Unrecognised exposures to measles have occurred at airports, on planes, at concerts, in shops and in healthcare settings. In 2018, 31 deaths associated with measles have been reported in EU countries.
Advice for people travelling abroad:
Vaccination remains the most effective measure against infection. Children aged 6-11 months who are travelling to other countries and regions where measles outbreaks have been reported are recommended to get the MMR vaccine.
A dose given before 12 months of age does not replace the dose that would normally be given at 12 months of age, the HSE advised.
Older children should be age-appropriately vaccinated. Children who have missed their recommended doses should get the MMR vaccine from their GP.
Adults may be at risk of measles, particularly those under 40 years of age who have never had measles or two doses of a measles vaccine.
Complications of measles:
Measles can cause chest infections, fits (seizures), ear infections, swelling of the brain and/or damage to the brain.
Measles is a notifiable disease and GPs and hospital clinicians should immediately notify public health authorities if they suspect someone has measles.
Actions taken to prevent further cases:
The Public Health Department has sent an alert to all Emergency Departments and GPs in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow to inform them to be vigilant about measles.
The Department has given the following advice on the most effective measures to control the further spread of this potentially serious illness:
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The memory of the massive damage that the diseases that were once common but were eradicated with vaccines has obviously been lost.
@Niall Mac Giolla Phádraig:
Bring back polio and smallpox, that’s what I say!
Of course the anti-vaxxers will tell us that the virtual eradication of these killers has nothing to do with targeted vaccination programmes. It’s a shame there isn’t a vaccination against stupidity.
@Walt Jabsco: I’ve actually seen comments by some of these anti-vaxxers claiming that smallpox and polio don’t, and never did, exist and that they were concocted by the big bad government to force us into taking vaccinations when they are actually methods of subduing the population and making us more compliant with our overlords… Walt has it right when he says it’s a shame there’s no vaccination against stupidity.
Child benefit should be linked to vaccinations
I understand people not trusting big pharma etc. But the historical evidence is compelling to say the least. I have a 7month old baba and she is fully jabbed up. I did for a time really read into things just to make sure. I can see how people get caught up in it but in general common sense should prevail. Poor kids are suffering shockingly.
@andyearley: be careful, as far as I’m aware the MMR jab is t until 12 months. In saying that I’m not too sure what being careful would look like but still.
@andyearley: How did your baby get the MMR before 12 months?
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: Probably meant that the baby is up to date with the vaccinations. Not rocket science.
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: it’s a conspiracy, quick, get the tinfoil!
@Dave O Keeffe: Do you need it Dave?
I had Measles when I was 5 – 6, I was still very ill on my sixth birthday. Fifty years later, I can still remember how ill I was. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Vaccines do not cause autism.
*sigh*
Read Roald Dahl talk about the death of his daughter and vaccination.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/io9.gizmodo.com/read-roald-dahls-heart-rending-endorsement-of-measles-v-1682995322/amp
@Phil O’ Meara: so sad. Even if there was a chance the vaccine caused autism( which I don’t think it does btw) wouldn’t it be better to have an autistic child than no child at all? Imagine your child died of an illness that you could have prevented but refused to? How could you live with that
@niamh ryan: You are feeding the doubt. There is no scientific link between the two. You may as well say there is a chance the vaccine causes AIDS.
@niamh ryan: FFS! There is no link between Autism and vaccines. You do not catch Autism
@Batster: where did I say you could catch autism?
@Fozz: I am not feeding anything. The doubt is already out there and and the anti vax crowd are getting larger and larger hence the outbreaks. Was only trying to take a step back and look at it from a different point of view
@niamh ryan: don’t mind them Niamh, it’s obvious you don’t subscribe to those claims, rational thinkers get your point.
@niamh ryan: Jesus, do the research. The trials connecting the vaccine and autism has been totally discredited. The doc who wrote it was barred from ever practising in UK again. He lives in Texas now spewing his bile, and has been at Trumps inauguration. Says it all.
@Eddie O’Connor: I suggest you re read my comment. Slowly this time
@niamh ryan: yep, I got your point, quite a simple one really. Even in the small mind of the Anti-Vader (not you) surely an autistic child is better than a dead child.
@Paul Fahey: exactly. Shouting people down and calling them stupid is not working
No vaccination, no children’s allowance.
Irresponsible parenting!
Vaccinations are perfectly safe, its the crazy conspiracy theorists on social media in particular and the naive people willing to believe their anti vaxx nonsense that are responsible for this outbreak. When I was five years old my little school pal got complications from measles that spread to her brain, she died at 22 having being paralysed all those years. People seem to think it’s a mild disease, its not.
This is quite simply assessing risk versus reward.
Does the advantage of taking the vaccine significantly outweigh any risk of getting the vaccine and in every case the answer is yes.
Yes vaccines can and do go wrong sometimes but the vast vast majority of times the advantage gained by taking the vaccine beats the creap out of that risk.
Parents who don’t vaccinate should be locked up for child endangerment….
Many children at school today have compromised immunity due to various conditions . Please consider them and vaccinate your child , their lives are just as important to their parents .
Tin foil hat wearing, anti-vaxxers, trying to remove themselves and their defenceless children from the gene pool – its Darwin at work.
This is down to a general distrust of big pharma and government, everyone knows that big pharma have no morals when it comes to making money, this being said my child is fully vaccinated, but I can see why people are reluctant to trust them…
@MickNev: it’s down to ignorance
I note they aren’t mentioning the vaccine scare in China where they have just injected what could be up to a million children with bogey vaccines…..but hey…that would be seen as anti-vaxx rather than just telling the news like you’re supposed to. !!!
@Colie Mac:
Who’s ‘they’?
It’s been widely covered across the media.
@Colie Mac: This was widely covered a couple of weeks ago.There were counterfeit vaccines and other medicines being sold on an industrial scale. Sadly this happens a lot in China.
@Colie Mac: Whataboutery has nothing to do with the issue at hand. There is no problems with vaccines. They are as safe as possible and there is no such thing as 100% safe. There are problems with science deniers using silly rumors and wooh that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny as evidence of some nonsensical conspiracy that exists in their own imagination.
@SteoG: Its this kind of comment that makes it worse I think, no constructive talk just and just calling them conspiracy theorists, they are concerned parents hoping they are doing their best for their child, remember the morning after pill years ago… Its better education and facts that is needed, leaflets in every door or something like that better adds on tv, stuff that costs money really to get the final few over the line, speaking down to these people like they are nutters just pushes them further away and helps no one..
@Colie Mac: Thats criminal use of counterfeit vaccine…. not the same at all. Bit well done add to the fake news.
@MickNev:
If concerned parents want to do the best for their children there’s any amount of easily accessible bona fide scientific evidence out there, not to mention recommendations from reputable medical organisations.
If someone wants to disregard all that in favour of something Mary’s sister read in a Facebook post then quite frankly they deserve to get called stupid.
@MickNev: I have tried to appeal to this persons better nature in the past trying to get them to apply some critical thinking. I provided links to scientific papers, articles, Youtube videos etc. I am afraid it didn’t work. Now all I can do is counter any silly claim they make.
No way…
@Stan Stynes: mum/dad know best over The Scientific Method
There there there
I wonder if there’s any autistic children out there who wernt vaccinated against measles be a bit odd if there were something to think about..!
@John Naghten: Or if the MMR causes autism, how come we don’t all have it?
I never had the vaccine as a child many moons ago, so got it myself two weeks ago, but only one jab. It repeats in the article ‘two doses’. Anyone know about that?
@Anne: the first jab brings you to 91% immune and the booster brings it about 95%. An average of 95% is required for “herd” immunity to kick in.
@Paul: Thanks for that information. Mmm maybe I need to get the second one then…
@Paul: That’s not my understanding of why the booster is needed. 5%-10% of children are non-responders to the first dosage, so a follow up dose us required. This follow-up dose also covers any children who may not have recrived the iniitial dose in the first place. With regard to herd immunity, 95% represents the percentage of the populstion that need to be vaccinated in order for herd immunity to be achieved.
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