Ten confirmed cases of measles in Ireland with further 20 under investigation

Concern is high for young people who may have missed out following a now-discredited vaccine scare in the late 1990s.

There are now 10 confirmed cases of measles in Ireland and four of those are linked to the same outbreak, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre said.

A further 20 cases are under investigation, up from just 10 earlier this week, health officials have said.

Public health doctors have called on anyone who missed out on the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, to attend free clinics running this week.

Concern is high for young people who may have missed out following a now-discredited vaccine scare in the late 1990s.

National Immunisation Office director of public health Dr Lucy Jessop said people had become complacent about the risks of measles.

“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,” she said previously.

“But when the rates drop they can come back.” 

She warned about measles: “It isn’t just a bit of a rash.” 

National Immunisation Office director of public health Dr Lucy Jessop said people had become complacent about the risks of measles. Picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins 

Complications can include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, and encephalitis. One in five children with measles are hospitalised, she said.

Concern has been growing since a number of cases in Ireland were identified linked to airline travel earlier this month. 

One man, aged in his 40s, has died.

"It’s one of the most contagious diseases we have,” Dr Jessop said.

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.

People travelling abroad over the school holidays are asked to ensure children are vaccinated beforehand.

“We are at risk of an outbreak, especially coming into the Easter period, when there might be a lot more travel between Ireland and the UK and other parts of Europe that have outbreaks of measles,” Dr Michael Hanrahan, with HSE Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, said this week.

“That’s why we would encourage people to ensure they are vaccinated before they travel.” 

Measles spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

“Do not go to work, school, or childcare until at least four days after you first got the measles rash,” the HSE advised.

“Avoid contact with young children, pregnant women and people who have a weak immune system.”