'High probability' of a measles outbreak in Ireland, says health minister
Stephen Donnelly has urged parents of children under 10 to ensure they receive an MMR vaccine, as concerns grow over an outbreak. File picture: Getty Images
There is a “high probability” of a measles outbreak in Ireland, the health minister has said, after a risk assessment was carried out.
Stephen Donnelly has urged parents of children under 10 to ensure they receive an MMR vaccine, as concerns grow over an outbreak.
Speaking outside Government Buildings, Mr Donnelly said that while vaccination rates for measles, mumps, and rubella are high, they are not at the recommended rate of 95%.
“Normally, our children are vaccinated at 12 months and then in primary school. Some people have missed that,” Mr Donnelly said.
“Our rates are still high, they’re still in the high 80s, but they’re not at that 95% we want from the WHO.”
Mr Donnelly said that with the potential for an outbreak, those who are unvaccinated against measles are at risk.
“We've seen outbreaks in Romania, in France, in Austria, and most recently in England,” he said.
Mr Donnelly said if unvaccinated, measles "can lead to some serious issues around the lungs like pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and, in some very rare cases, death as well”.
He said that with the mid-term break upcoming, there are likely to be children travelling to countries such as England and France.
“There’s always the case now that people will contract measles — it’s highly infectious — and bring it back. They’re at risk and then potentially further secondary infection could put other people at risk.”
Among the proposals to increase the vaccination rate, the HSE is due to examine a catch-up programme at secondary schools and colleges across the country.
Mr Donnelly said that there are parts of the country where vaccination rates are significantly lower, including Louth and Meath where the rate is around 80%. This is compared to places like south and west Dublin, where the MMR vaccination rate is at 94%.
He also flagged the number of young men, aged between 19 and 21, where the MMR vaccination rate is only at 80%.
“So one in five of them are not protected, they’re not vaccinated and we want to focus on the high-risk groups,” Mr Donnelly said.
The health minister is due to tell his Cabinet colleagues that the reason for higher levels of non-immunity is down to misinformation about the MMR vaccine, which has falsely implicated it with a risk of autism.
Due to autism being more often diagnosed in young male children, it is believed that a cohort of now young men were not vaccinated due to decisions of parents that were informed by “erroneous science” that has since been discredited.
Mr Donnelly also commented on the resignation of Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth, who took up the role just over a year ago.
Sources have said that Prof Smyth is due to begin an academic professorship at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Paying tribute to Prof Smyth, Mr Donnelly said that she had been an “excellent” chief medical officer and that she had been offered “a really exciting job”.
“We'll start the conversations now around potential replacements, be it in an acting role and obviously we'll advertise for the full-time post as well,” Mr Donnelly said.
“I really would like to wish Professor Smyth the very best. She's moving to a big new role and an important new role and I know she will add a lot of value to public health in that role.”
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