Dr Catherine Conlon: Why vaccination against measles is so important

A fall in the uptake of the measles vaccine, combined with outbreaks of the virus, has prompted health officials to remind parents of the risks involved, writes Catherine Conlon

Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963 and widespread vaccination, major epidemics occurred approximately every two to three years and measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths a year. File picture

The combination of a fall in the uptake of the measles vaccine combined with measles outbreaks being reported in a number of countries including Austria, the US, and South Africa has led to the HSE urging parents to make sure their children are up to date with their MMR vaccines, particularly before they travel abroad during the easter or summer break.

HSE Immunisation Lead and Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Dr Lucy Jessop, said that the uptake of the second dose of MMR in Ireland for children for the 2020/2021 school year was 88%. "This is down from 91% reported for the 2019/2020 school year. Both of these uptake rates are well below the 95% uptake rates recommended by WHO to stop measles transmission and indicate gaps in immunity."