Rise in measles sparks jabs plea (From Redditch Advertiser)

Rise in measles sparks jabs plea

2:50pm Monday 1st December 2008

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PARENTS in Redditch and Alcester are being urged by the Health Protection Agency to get their children immunised as measles continues to spread throughout the West Midlands region.

Since the beginning of November there have been 16 suspected cases in Worcestershire and 36 suspected cases in Warwickshire and the overall number of measles cases in England and Wales has topped 1,000 in a year for the first time since 1995.

Dr Gillian Smith, regional immunisation lead for the Health Protection Agency in the West Midlands, said: “We are concerned by the growing numbers of measles cases in the region and we must do all we can to halt the spread of the disease by encouraging parents to immunise their children.

“It’s worrying that we potentially have over 70 cases of measles in the West Midlands recently – we estimate that comparing it to November last year, cases are up by a third. My fear is that we will see further clusters throughout the region.”

She said that the priority was to improve Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination uptake rates and stop measles spreading, with the only sure way for an individual to avoid measles to have two doses of MMR vaccine, preferably by age five, but at any age if people have been previously unvaccinated.

“Most cases are amongst children and so we, alongside colleagues in the NHS, are urging all parents to ensure that their children are adequately vaccinated against it,” she added.

Complications of measles include pneumonia, ear and eye infections, and croup, an infection of the lungs and throat, and more serious complications, such as inflammation of the brain are rarer, but can be fatal.

If you would like information on childhood immunisation in general, speak to your GP or visit www.immunisation.nhs.uk.

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