News: Measles update for 22 June 2009

• Three additional cases of measles have been reported in Wales.  There is one new case in Pembrokeshire, one in Carmarthenshire and one in Torfaen.

• The outbreak is affecting 16 of the 22 counties of Wales.

• The total number of cases is now 316.

• There are 241 cases in Mid and West Wales, 58 in North Wales and 17 in South East Wales.

• The breakdown of cases by county is as follows:

• One more patient has been hospitalised, meaning that the number of hospitalised cases has increased to 38.

• All 316 cases are being treated as measles regardless of whether they are laboratory-confirmed.

• The outbreak of measles in Llandudno has now been brought under control.  However, parents of children living in the area are reminded that measles continues to circulate in the community and there is still a risk to unvaccinated children.

• The NPHS is also investigating 484 cases of mumps in Wales reported since 1 January this year.  In 2008, 329 cases were reported in the whole of the year.  Public health action is taken in relation to all new cases of mumps but we do not collate and publish figures on the total number of cases in Wales more often than once a week.

Dr Marion Lyons, Head of the Health Protection Teams for the NPHS, said: “In less than four weeks, we have seen 100 new cases of measles in Wales and we remain concerned that if the numbers continue to grow at this rate, it is only a matter of time before a child in Wales is killed or left permanently affected by measles.

“With more than 300 cases in Wales, 38 of which have needed hospital treatment, there is no room for parents to be complacent about this outbreak. 

“The message is simple – new cases can only occur because children are not fully vaccinated and the outbreak will continue to grow until uptake of MMR increases in Wales. 

“The MMR vaccine is safe, effective and the only protection against measles.  The vaccine also provides protection against mumps, which is currently also on the increase in Wales.

“Although most children will make a full recovery from measles or mumps, both diseases have potentially serious consequences.  Children can be left permanently brain damaged or can even die of measles.  Complications of mumps include meningitis and deafness.

“People most at risk of catching measles are children of school age who have not had two doses of MMR or children between the ages of one and three who missed their first MMR dose at 13 months.

“We estimate that there are around 45,000 school age children at risk of measles in Wales at present due to their MMR status.  Children should have their immunisation record, including MMR status, checked at the beginning of primary and secondary school and on leaving secondary school.”

• Many people who catch measles will have a fever, cough, red eyes, and blocked nose and feel generally unwell. The blotchy rash appears a few days later beginning on the face and spreading downwards to the rest of the body over several days.  Typically, people will be infectious from the day before their first symptoms until four to five days after the appearance of the rash.

• Parents who think their child has measles-like symptoms should keep them away from school and contact their GP or NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47.

• The only protection against measles is two doses of the MMR vaccine, which is safe and effective.  Children should receive the first dose of MMR at 13 months of age and the second dose at around three years and four months of age.

• Parents whose children are overdue for their MMR vaccination should speak to their GP.

• Children who are not old enough to be vaccinated do not need their vaccinations to be brought forward as a result of this outbreak.  However, anyone old enough to be vaccinated who has not received two doses of MMR is putting younger children at risk of measles.

• Routine measles vaccination was introduced in the UK in 1968.  The MMR vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella was introduced in 1988.  One dose of the MMR vaccination provides 90 per cent protection against measles; two doses provides 99 per cent protection.  A small number of patients confirmed with measles in the current outbreak have received one dose of MMR while the others have received no vaccination at all.

• The latest MMR uptake figures from the National Public Health Service for Wales show that for the first quarter of 2009 (January to March), 89.6 per cent of children reaching their second birthday had received one dose of the MMR vaccine and 83.4 per cent of children reaching their fifth birthday had received two doses of the MMR vaccine.  Herd immunity – the point at which measles is eradicated because so many people are vaccinated that it cannot spread – requires 95 per cent vaccine uptake.

• The NPHS Health Protection Teams are working closely with local health professionals to reach unvaccinated children and provide them with vaccination.

• The NHS (Business Services Centre and NPHS) is distributing Welsh Assembly Government leaflets and DVDs to schools across Wales in the coming weeks to raise awareness of measles and the MMR vaccine and we hope that this, plus the work we are doing with local health professionals to boost vaccine uptake, will help increase the numbers of vaccinated children.

• All nurseries, primary and secondary schools in the areas with the highest incidence of measles will receive a copy of a DVD on immunisation from the National Public Health Service for Wales as soon as possible.  The first were sent out on 2 June.