Experts want children to get vaccine earlier

MEDICAL experts have recommended children be given the MMR vaccine at an earlier age after a measles outbreak claimed three lives.

The Royal College of Physicans of Ireland yesterday issued revised guidelines recommending children be vaccinated from their first birthday, instead of the current practice of vaccination at 15 months.

The revision was prompted by a measles epidemic in Dublin two year’s ago in which almost 1,600 children were affected, compared to a national figure of just 27 cases in 1999.