H.S.E - Measles

News | 06 Oct 2011 | 10:46 AM

IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT ‐5 years of age usually by HSE school vaccination teams.

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Measles

Dear Principal

Since the beginning of 2011 there has been a large outbreak of measles in Europe with over 26,000 cases. In Ireland there have been almost 200 cases of measles since the start of 2011. Most of these have occurred in recent weeks in North Dublin City.

This outbreak has occurred because many young people have not received two doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and so are at immediate high risk of developing measles.

Measles is an acute viral infectious illness that causes fever, rash and red painful eyes. Complications can include pneumonia, serious ear infections and rarely encephalitis (swelling of the brain). Measles is spread by close contact with an infected person who can spread the disease from about 4 days before to 4 days after the onset of the rash.

Vaccination with MMR vaccine is the only way to protect against measles. The first MMR dose is given by GPs at 12 months of age, and the second dose at 4

If there are any suspect cases of measles in a child attending your school please contact your local Department of Public Health in which case public health doctors may advise that any suspect cases and unvaccinated children should be excluded from school.

Further information about MMR and measles is available at www.immunisation.ie

Yours sincerely