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PUBLIC HEALTH WALES has confirmed that the epidemic of measles in Swansea has now reached 620 people.
Despite the 1,700 jabs that were given at vaccination clinics at the weekend, the public health information authority is warning that there is no sign of an end to the outbreak.
At least 6,000 children remain unvaccinated in the county of Swansea and Public Health Wales today warned parents, carers and communities to ensure all children receive the two doses of the MMR vaccine needed to ward off measles.
Commenting on the outbreak today, Dr Marian Lyons, Director of Health Protection for PHW said the response at the weekend was “excellent” and that more than 900 children received non-routine MMR vaccinations in GP surgeries last week.
Around 6,000 children in the Swansea area alone are still not fully vaccinated against the infection and Lyons said “we cannot be confident that the outbreak will not continue to grow with so many children still at risk from this very contagious and potentially fatal disease”.
Those not vaccinated are highly likely to catch the disease and it is just a matter of time before a child is left with serious and permanent complications such as eye disorders, deafness or brain damage, or dies.
Measles cases continue to be reported across Wales, with the majority in Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, Powys and Hywel Dda Health Board areas.
It is inevitable that some children vaccinated in the last week will will already be incubating measles and vaccination will not prevent them from becoming ill, but the dose is likely to be milder than if they had not receievd the vaccine.
Lyons added that measles “cannot be taken lightly because you can never tell who will go on to develop the more serious complications of pneumonia or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)”. MMR vaccination offers the only protection against these complications.
“A simple and safe jab from your GP will protect your child’s health, could save their life, and will help protect other children too,” she said. “It is the only precaution you can take at this worrying time, and we have plenty of stocks of the jab, so I would urge parents to make arrangements with their GP now.”
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Christ that’s depressing. We need to start protecting our world. Starting with our plastic consumption.
@john Appleseed: only 20% of plastic we put in our recycle bins is actually recycled. 30% ends up in waste. Caught every direction!
@john Appleseed: they really should start with Irish supermarkets where almost every single fruit or vegetable is wrapped in plastic. I don’t see it at that level in any other European country.
Ban plastics
Dolphins use earths magnetic fields to navigate so perhaps that’s changing -
@Denise: It is interesting as it’s now known our iron core is moving and will change. However if that was the case all of them would be on the beaches rather than a few. They’re intelligent animals who communicate so there has to be another reason. If their sonar/hearing has been damaged by something it would point to a cause. I doubt if we have a way yet of doing that type of post mortem.
Why don’t they go back to Wales, where they belong?
@Paul Culligan: Is there a rugby match imminent or something
Do they want Irish passports too?
@Jonathan Nolan: change the record
@john Appleseed: Vivaldi or the Smashing Pumpkins?
Submarine activity around our coast
This is worrying news.
@Blind Faith: https://youtu.be/sq2V6cGYgzw
I only keep the small ones, I throw the big ones back in. Maybe I need a bigger pan.
Not enough social housing.
I blame Leo and FG.
You see loads at mc Donald’s
If you want to do something about plastic pollution create open data on litter anywhere @ openlittermap.com – it’s like Pokémon go for tidy towns!
Has Danny Healy-Rae TD been asked for a statement?
It is now a scientific fact that 10 rivers in asia our introducing 60% of the pollutants into our oceans, how bloody hard can it be to stop it
I wonder how many were died as a result of being caught in Super Trawler nets.
have your say