'It isn’t just a bit of a rash' — HSE warns of complacency around measles
Dr Lucy Jessop, Director of the National Immunisation Office at the HSE, urged anyone travelling to England to ensure children are vaccinated, saying measles “spreads like wildfire” among unvaccinated groups. File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
People have become complacent about measles and have forgotten how extremely dangerous the infection can be, the head of the HSE National Immunisation Office has warned.
Dr Lucy Jessop urged anyone travelling to England to ensure children are vaccinated, saying measles “spreads like wildfire” among unvaccinated groups.
English health authorities have declared a national incident amid high levels of measles transmission across northern areas, including West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. Vaccine rates in Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester, for example, are as low as 75% when 95% is required for successful control of measles.
Dr Jessop said of the Irish situation: “There is a lot of complacency around the illnesses we vaccinate against unfortunately.
“There are diseases people think have gone away but unfortunately it's only because we’ve had such good rates of vaccination that they have gone away. But when the rates drop they can come back.”
She urged parents to consider protection for their babies and young children.
She warned: "Measles can be very, very serious and lead to pneumonia, and inflammation of the brain, encephalitis and one in five children at least are hospitalised with measles.
“Babies who are too young to be vaccinated are particularly vulnerable and pregnant women who have problems with their immune system, they are particularly vulnerable.”
She added: “It isn’t just a bit of a rash”. An outbreak in 2000 in Dublin saw three children die with over 1,600 children infected.
She urged anyone going to England to “definitely” ensure children are vaccinated, saying "particularly with the mid-term break coming up, we want to encourage people to come forward for vaccination here".
"It’s one of the most contagious diseases we have. Measles’ reproductive number is 12 to 15. So for every one case 12 to 15 more cases will happen, so it spreads like wildfire if people aren’t vaccinated," Dr Jessop said.
She strongly warned against so-called ‘measles parties’ in an echo of pleas from English doctors. This is when parents bring their child to spend time with an infected child, believing all infections are mild.
“I hope (these parties) do not happen here,” she said. “We don’t have any cases here, no cases in 2024 at all. But that would be a very, very dangerous game to play because measles can be very serious.”
The MMR vaccine takes around two weeks to take effect. It is recommended for babies at 12 months old, and again when aged four to five, given in schools. Both doses are required for full protection, she said.
“Certainly during covid rates did fall, that could have been because GP practices were very busy, parent didn’t want to bring their babies out,” she said.
“If your baby was 12 months and you forgot and now they’re two or three, it’s definitely time to make an appointment with a GP and get them vaccinated. It’s not too late.”
Parents can also contact their nearest HSE Local Health Office for information.
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