Virus fears for 1,000 children in Cork

Almost a thousand young children in North Cork are being put at risk of serious illnesses due to an extremely low take-up of the potentially lifesaving MMR and 4-in-1 vaccines.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre revealed the situation after conducting the first nationwide examination of the issue across all schools in the country.

Despite a near-90% compliance rate throughout Ireland, and a four-in-five uptake level in the rest of the HSE South, just one in four children (26.4% 4-in-1 jab; 26.6% MMR) in North Cork are receiving the vital protection.