Cases of measles are rising in Europe and in the UK. I’m very concerned that vaccination levels are not high enough to prevent an outbreak here. Measles is a highly contagious and potentially harmful disease, but the MMR vaccine offers protection. See immunisation.ie [ Ссылка ]
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Hi everyone. I want to speak to you today about measles. Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads easily through respiratory droplets. You'll recognise it by its red rash and it also causes cold-like symptoms, sore eyes and fever. It can lead to severe complications like encephalitis – infection of the brain, or pneumonia – infection of the lung. In extreme cases, it can lead to death. The MMR vaccine offers a high level of protection against measles, mumps and rubella. It's delivered in two doses, the first through your child's GP at the age of 12 months, and the second when your child is in junior infants in primary school. I'm very concerned that we are at high risk of an outbreak of measles in Ireland at the moment. We need 95% of the population to be vaccinated in order to prevent measles infection from spreading. Unfortunately, the uptake rate for the MMR vaccine in Ireland has fallen below 90% nationally and, in some counties, the rate is as low as below 80%. Also, we know from recent studies that nearly 20% of males aged 18 or 19 years do not have immunity to measles. This is particularly concerning as currently we're seeing a rise in cases in the UK and across Europe. If you are considering travelling to these areas, I would strongly urge you to ensure that you and/or your child are protected. It's never too late to vaccinate. The MMR is a safe and very effective vaccine, so please talk to your GP or go to immunisation.ie for more information. Thank you.
