Nine suspected cases of measles were reported to the infectious diseases watchdog last week, as concerns have been raised about the “high risk” of an outbreak in the country following the death of a man from the illness.
According to the latest infectious diseases report from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), there have been nine notified cases of the disease so far this year, all of which were recorded in the week ending February 3rd. During the same period last year, no cases had been reported.
Of those, seven were in children aged four or below, with the remaining two cases being children aged five to nine.
According to the HPSC, the nine cases have not yet been confirmed but two are “probable” and seven are “possible”. The figures do not include the man who died from the disease this week.
Chief medical officer Prof Breda Smyth said the vaccination rate has slipped below 90 per cent and needs to be at 95 per cent to stop the illness spreading. The trend was worst among young men in their late teenage years, she said, with 20 per cent of them being unvaccinated and without immunity.
Prof Smyth said measles is “a highly contagious disease that spreads easily through respiratory droplets”. While often associated with a rash, it can spread around the body, potentially leading to severe complications.
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“I am very concerned that we are at high risk of an outbreak of measles in Ireland at the moment,” Prof Smyth said in a video message posted on social media.
“This is particularly concerning as currently we’re seeing a rise in cases in the UK and across Europe. If you’re considering travelling to these areas, I would strongly urge you to ensure that you and/or your child are protected...The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) is a safe and very effective vaccine.”
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The HPSC on Wednesday night said a man had died in a hospital in the Dublin and Midlands Health Region from measles.
It said public health teams, along with the HSE Measles National Incident Management Team, are taking all necessary public health actions in relation to the case. The team was established in response to a recent rise in measles cases in the UK and mainland Europe.
Measles and the misinformation that helps it spread
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, HSE national immunisation lead Dr Lucy Jessop said there is a “very high awareness” among public health professionals on measles, and they are “very much keeping a watch”.
“It is very important people seek medical advice early so we can take appropriate public health measures, so that we can control the spread of any further infections,” she said.
Dr Jessop added that the HSE was looking at options around how to increase the uptake of the MMR vaccine.
Ireland recorded only four cases of the disease last year, imported from outside the EU in a single family outbreak. There were two cases in 2022.
While no cases were reported in 2021, there were five recorded in 2020, the HSE said, with no deaths reported in any of those years.
The likely reason for the growing level of non-immunity arises from misinformation in the past about the MMR vaccine, falsely linking it to a risk of autism, according to a briefing note for Cabinet.
More than 170 measles cases were diagnosed in the West Midlands in England between December and mid-January, although all regions in England have reported cases.
MMR vaccinations fell to a low of 79.9 per cent in the UK by 2004 and similar falls were observed elsewhere.
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