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Don’t take a chance with measles. Arrange MMR vaccination

2 December 2008

With measles continuing to increase in Central and Eastern Cheshire, health officials are renewing their plea to parents to give consent for unprotected children and teenagers to be vaccinated in school.

The appeal comes as Central and Eastern Cheshire (CEC) PCT, supported by the Health Protection Agency, prepares to launch a mass vaccination campaign in 177 primary schools and 33 secondary schools. The campaign starts tomorrow (Wednesday 3 December) and is expected to be completed by Wednesday 17 December.

The PCT is seeking consent from parents for 10,534 currently unprotected children and teenagers to be vaccinated in the schools and Dr. Guy Hayhurst, Consultant in Public Health, says it will be vital for the offer to be taken up.

"We now have 75 reported cases of measles in the area, of which 20 have been confirmed by laboratory testing. Most of the others are also probably measles although we don't have lab results for them, so this is a large and escalating outbreak," Dr. Hayhurst said.

"The only way to halt it in its tracks is by vaccinating children and teenagers who missed out on MMR protection when they were younger. MMR is a safe and proven vaccine that is used effectively in 90 countries throughout the world. Measles is a nasty illness with a potential for serious side effects. In rare cases it can kill.

"Dates have now been arranged with all schools.  It is not too late for parents to agree to their child being vaccinated.  Please check the vaccination date with the school and if necessary give us your agreement on the day."

The majority of the cases are in Sandbach, Middlewich and Winsford, but there have also been reports from Crewe, Alsager, Congleton, Nantwich and Northwich.

Dr. Rosemary McCann, the Health Protection Agency's North West Immunisation Lead, said: "I can't stress enough how important it is for children and young people to be vaccinated to prevent any further spread of measles. My advice to parents in Central and Eastern Cheshire is, take up this offer to have your children vaccinated in school. Parents elsewhere in the region should arrange it through their family doctors."

Note to editors

The 10,534 who will be vaccinated range in ages from Reception Year children in primary school to Year 11 pupils in secondary school.

Measles is an infectious viral illness that at one time affected up to 800,000 people annually. Since the introduction of measles vaccine, and especially since the introduction of MMR vaccine in 1988, the numbers of cases have reduced dramatically. However, a fall in MMR uptake rates in recent years has left an unprotected cohort of older children and teenagers and there is a real risk of measles spreading amongst them, as is happening in Central and Eastern Cheshire and some other parts of the UK.

Children and teenagers in Central and Eastern Cheshire are being offered vaccination in school. Elsewhere in the region and throughout the country, the parents of unprotected older children and teenagers are advised to consult their GPs about MMR vaccination.

Classic symptoms of measles are fever, cough, red and painful eyes, swollen glands, loss of appetite and a rash that tends to follow 3-4 days after the onset of symptoms.

Most people will recover from measles without too many problems, but a significant number will develop complications. These may include:

  • Ear infection (one in 20)
  • Pneumonia/bronchitis (one in 25)
  • Convulsion (one in 200)
  • Diarrhoea (one in six)
  • Hospital admission (one in 100)
  • Meningitis/encephalitis (one in 1,000)
  • Late onset subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) (one in 8,000 children under two years old). SSPE is a rare degenerative neurological condition that can develop some years after measles infection. It causes brain damage and death. The risk is greatest in those who were infected with measles at a young age. The average interval from measles infection to onset of SSPE is eight years. Death invariably follows. Since the introduction of live attenuated measles vaccine in the 1960s, the incidence of SSPE has dramatically decreased.
  • Death (one in 2,500-5,000)

Further information is available from:
http://www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk/
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/measles/menu.htm

Press release issued by Hugh Lamont, Communications Manager, HPA North West.

Tel. 0151-482-5728 or 07764-906508.

Last reviewed: 3 December 2008