Measles outbreak in Lewisham - please get your children immunised

4 April 2008

Following an outbreak of over 700 cases in North East London at the end of last year, measles has now come south.

Dr Chris Watts, Director of Public Health for Lewisham Primary Care Trust said, “We have a major problem with measles in Lewisham. One of our local schools has had 30 probable cases plus six confirmed. We have also had several cases in another school and in the community more widely. We must stop measles spreading.”

“With support from the Borough’s Education department, the PCT is advising parents at the affected school about what to do if their child develops the signs of

>measles and emphasising the importance and safety of the MMR vaccination.“

Dr Watts added, “A few weeks ago there was an outbreak in the children’s ward at University Hospital Lewisham. A child that came into the hospital without measles symptoms subsequently developed measles by which point the infection had spread to another 8 children and 1 adult at the hospital. All hospital staff are being checked and immunised. Community health staff are also being immunised.”

Rachel Heathcock, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at the Health Protection Agency, said, "Immunising children with MMR doesn't only protect them; it also reduces the risk of spreading the infection to children who cannot be immunized because of existing serious health problems such as childhood cancers. It also protects those children too young to have the vaccine.

"While most people who catch measles will recover completely within a couple of weeks, it's important to remember that measles can be a very serious illness and children can be easily protected by the MMR vaccine".

Michael Corr, Immunisation Clinical Coordinator for Lewisham Primary Care Trust said, “Unfortunately, much was written in the press about an alleged link between MMR and autism at the time some of the children we see infected now should have been immunised. This link has been discredited repeatedly and it has taken over 10 years for confidence in the MMR vaccine to grow again. Most recent clinical studies have once again disproved the links. MMR is safe and those children who did not get immunised are at risk of measles and in an outbreak, the virus will spread easily and quickly amongst them.”

“Unless at least 95% of children in a community are immunised, the disease will spread easily and quickly. In Lewisham only 64% of children are vaccinated against measles. In some parts of the borough, the coverage is much lower. This is the reason measles is spreading in Lewisham”.

CHILDREN NEED TO BE IMMUNISED

All children need two doses of MMR to protect them from measles, mumps and rubella. Ideally, the first is given at around 13 months with the second just before they start school. However, the second dose may be given sooner and MMR can be given to anyone of any age who is not protected.

If your children have not had two doses, please do the following:

For children aged 5 to 16 - please take them to their GP to be immunised.

For children under 5, you can either take them to their GP or to one of the child health clinics,which run every week in Lewisham. No appointment is needed, but PLEASE try to bring the child’s Red Book – the Personal Child Health Record with you.

Special immunisation drop in sessions for all age groups are also going to be organised by Lewisham Primary Care Trust. More details will be available in the next week on their website at www.lewishampct.nhs.uk

HEALTH ADVICE ON MEASLES

Anyone concerned about the signs or symptoms of measles should contact their GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

If you have any questions about the vaccines, the disease, access to clinics or what we are doing to help manage the outbreak you can call the Lewisham NHSImmunisation Helpline on 020 7138 1444. More information is also available on the Lewisham PCT website at www.lewishampct.nhs.uk

Almost everyone infected will feel generally unwell and develop symptoms such as:

Fever
Cough
Red and painful eyes
Swollen glands
Loss of appetite
Rash, which tends to follow 3-4 days after onset of the above symptoms.

People are infectious from just before the time that they become unwell to around 4 days after the onset of the rash. Those affected should stay off school or work for 5 days from the onset of the rash.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. For further information on the MMR vaccine and childhood immunisations, please contact the Lewisham NHS Immunisation helpline on 020 7138 1444.

2. To arrange an interview with either Michael Corr, Immunisation Co-ordinator please call the Lewisham PCT Communications Team on 020 7206 3334/3333. To arrange an interview with Dr Rachel Heathcock at the Health Protection Agency, please call 020 7759 2834.

3. Measles is not a trivial illness. It is caused by a very infectious virus. A cough or sneeze will spread the measles virus over a wide area. If your child has not had MMR vaccine, the chances are they will catch it if they are in contact with someone with measles. Nearly everyone who catches it will have a high fever, a rash and generally be unwell. Children often have to spend about five days in bed and could be off school for ten days. Complications affect one in every 15 children and include chest infections, fits, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and in rare cases brain damage. In very serious cases, measles kills.

4. Measles is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable death among children. In 2003 nearly half a million children under 5 died from measles worldwide, most of them in Africa. In 1987, (the year before the MMR vaccine was introduced in the UK), 86,000 children caught measles and 16 died.

5. Visit the following websites for more information on access to local services and the MMR vaccination.

www.lewishampct.nhs.uk

www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk

www.immunisation.nhs.uk

6. The following child health clinics held every week in Lewisham can provide the MMR for children under 5. Children over 5 must visit their GP for the vaccine.

Child health clinics for the under 5s

Waldron Health Centre
Tuesday 1.00 to 3.00
Wednesday 1.30 to 3.30
Waldron Health Centre
Stanley Street,
Deptford,
London SE8 4BG
tel: 020 3049 3400

Grove Medical Centre
Tuesday 9.30 to 11.15
Grove Medical Centre
Windlass Place,
London SE8 3QH
Tel: c/o Health Visitor at the Waldron 020 3049 3400

Honor Oak HC
Tuesday 1.00 to 3.00
Honor Oak Health Centre
20 Turnham Road, Brockley, London, SE4 2LA
Tel: 020 7771 8811

Lee HC
Tuesday 1.30 to 3.30
Lee Health Centre
2 Handen Road, Lee,
London SE12 8NP
Tel: 020 7771 4904

Hawstead Road Surgery
1st and 3rd Wednesday 09.30 to 11.30
Hawstead Road SE6 4JH
Tel: 020 7138 1732

South Lewisham HC
Monday 1.30 to 3.30
South Lewisham Health Centre
Tel: 020 8698 8921
50 Conisborough Crescent,
Lewisham,
London SE6 2SS

Marvels Lane Clinic
Wednesday 1.30 to 3.30
Marvels Lane Health Centre
London, SE12 9PN
Tel c/o Health Visitors at Downham Tel: 020 3049 1800

Downham Health and Leisure
Thursday 9.30 to 2.00pm
Downham Health & Leisure Centre
7-9 Moorside Road,
Bromley, BR1 5EP
Tel: 020 3049 1800

Sydenham Green
Wednesday 9.30 to 11.30
Sydenham Green Health Centre
26 Holmshaw Close,
Sydenham,
London SE26 4TG
Tel: 020 7771 4629

For further information call the Lewisham NHS Immunisation helpline on 020 7138 1444 or visit www.lewishampct.nhs.uk

Last reviewed: 8 January 2009