Measles outbreak in North Wales

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Parents in North Wales are being urged to make sure their children receive the MMR vaccination following further reports of measles in and around Llandudno.

The total number of cases of measles in individuals or families linked to the pupils already diagnosed with measles who attend Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn and Ysgol John Bright, Llandudno, has now been confirmed as thirty-nine.

The National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) is urging parents to contact their GP if their child has not received two doses of the MMR vaccine in order to limit the spread of the disease.

Dr Chris Whiteside, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, NPHS, said: “Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease and children who have not been immunised are at risk. Measles can be a very serious disease and can cause severe, even life-threatening, complications or permanent harm.

“Parents can easily protect their children by having them immunised with the MMR vaccine - delivered in two doses to ensure the best protection against mumps and rubella as well as measles.

“After completing a two-dose course of MMR, 99 per cent of children will be protected against measles. Children who have only received one dose of MMR may not be protected.”

Measles is an acute highly infectious viral illness caught through direct contact with an infected person or through the air via droplets from coughs or sneezes. Symptoms include fever, cold-like symptoms, fatigue, conjunctivitis and a distinctive red-brown rash.

Measles mainly affects young children but can be caught at any age. Having measles once usually confers lifelong immunity to catching it again.

Measles can be a very serious disease and cause severe, even life-threatening, complications. In the UK, complications are quite common even in healthy people and approximately 20 per cent of reported measles cases experience one or more complication.

Complications are more common among children under 5 years of age, those with weakened immune systems, children with a poor diet, and adults. Catching measles in pregnancy can cause miscarriage, premature labour or a baby with a low birth weight.

Before the introduction of measles vaccination in 1968, around 100 children a year in England and Wales died from the disease.

The target for MMR vaccine uptake, in line with other childhood vaccines, is 95%. Wales has not yet achieved the 95% target for MMR uptake. In North Wales 92.9% of 5 year old children have received one dose of MMR and 84.8% have received two doses. These rates are above the overall rates for Wales of 90.5% and 81.9%.