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**Shiloh** · April 6, 2009, 01:18 PM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7986383.stm

Measles outbreak prompts jab call

Health officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children against measles, after identifying 17 suspected cases in west Wales.

The disease has been confirmed in two individuals in Pembroke, Pembroke Dock and Llanelli.

The National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHSW) meanwhile has said the number of suspected cases of measles in Llandudno, Conwy has risen to 22.

But it says there is no evidence linking cases in the west with north.

Parents are being asked to ensure their children have had two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Dr Mac Walapu, consultant in communicable disease control for the NPHS, said: "Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease and children who have not been immunised are at risk.

"Parents can easily protect their children by having them immunised - after completing a two-dose course of MMR, 99% of children will be protected against measles."

Latest figures for measles cases in Wales and England show that there has been an almost 40% increase in the infection compared to 2007.

Walapu added: "Most people make a full recovery but there is a rare possibility of severe complications including serious eye disorders, deafness, brain damage and even death."

GPs are being alerted to possible increases in demand for the MMR vaccine, said the NHPS.

The NPHSW said two more cases of suspected measles have been reported in individuals or families linked to the pupils already diagnosed with measles who attend Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn and Ysgol John Bright, Llandudno.

Four of the 22 cases have been confirmed as measles infection.

**Shiloh** · April 10, 2009, 06:28 AM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/he...1466-23356205/

Number of suspected measles cases rises
Apr 10 2009 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

THE number of people confirmed or thought to be infected by measles in West Wales has risen to 20.

The National Public Health Service for Wales last night said there were 18 suspected and two confirmed cases in Llanelli, South Pembrokeshire and Burry Port.

The majority of the cases, including the confirmed measles cases, are in South Pembrokeshire.

Parents of children under 16 in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock have been sent letters urging them to be vaccinated with the triple combined MMR jab if they have not already received two doses.

Similar letters will now be sent to parents in Llanelli.

The NPHS has established links between the cases in Llanelli and Pembrokeshire, and investigations are ongoing to ascertain links with the cases in Burry Port. There is no evidence of a link with an outbreak of measles in Llandudno.

Dr Mac Walapu, an NPHS consultant in communicable disease control, said: ?Measles is highly contagious and all children who have not been fully immunised face a lifelong risk of catching measles.?

Many people who catch measles will have a fever, a rash and feel generally unwell, he said. ?If your child is unwell and you suspect it is measles you should contact your GP. Your child should not attend school or nursery for five days after the rash starts.

?Most people make a full recovery but there is a rare possibility of severe complications including serious eye disorders, deafness, brain damage and even death.

?Measles can be prevented by use of the safe and highly effective measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.?

**Shiloh** · April 17, 2009, 02:59 PM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8004617.stm

Fresh measles cases are confirmed

Health officials say the number of confirmed measles cases in a north Wales outbreak is continuing to rise.

Fourteen cases of the disease linked to two schools in Llandudno, Conwy, have now been confirmed.

The National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) says there are now also 31 suspected cases.

However, the NPHS says it still believes the cases are not linked to an outbreak of measles in parts of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Earlier this month it recorded eight suspected and two confirmed cases of the infection in Llanelli, eight suspected cases in south Pembrokeshire, and two more in Burry Port.

The NPHS is urging parents to ensure their children have received the two recommended doses of vaccination against the disease.

During the Easter holidays, jab "catch-up" sessions have been held in the Llandudno area for concerned families, connected to the two schools, Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn and Ysgol John Bright.

NPHS consultant, Dr Chris Whiteside said: "Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease and children who have not been immunised are at risk.

"Measles can be prevented by use of the safe and highly effective measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

"Receiving the vaccine - delivered in two doses to ensure the best protection against mumps and rubella as well as measles - means that children have a smaller than 1 per cent chance of contracting measles."

Latest figures for measles cases in Wales and England show that there has been an almost 40% increase in the infection compared to 2007.

While most people make a full recovery from the disease, it can lead to severe complications, including eye disorders, deafness, brain damage, and even death.

**Shiloh** · April 23, 2009, 08:33 AM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Health&F=1&id=16745

Measles spreading in Wales

23/4/2009

Thirty suspected and confirmed cases of measles in West Wales are being investigated by the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS). And 31 measles cases are under investigation in the North Wales area.

The NPHS has been informed of two confirmed and 28 suspected cases in the Llanelli, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock areas.

Nineteen suspected cases are in Llanelli, with two confirmed and nine suspected cases in Pembrokeshire.

The NPHS continues to urge parents to ensure that their children have received the two full doses of the MMR vaccination in order to be protected from measles.

Children aged between one and 16 living in affected areas and who have not received the full two doses of the MMR vaccination have received letters inviting them to receive immunisation.

Patients over 16 living in either county and who have not been vaccinated should contact their GP for advice.

There is no evidence of a link with the 31 measles cases currently under investigation in the North Wales area.

Dr Mac Walapu, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for the NPHS, said: ?Measles is highly contagious and all children who have not been fully immunised face a life-long risk of catching measles.

?Many people who catch measles will have a fever, a rash and feel generally unwell. Not all of these signs and symptoms may show at once. Typically, people will be infectious from a few days before the onset of their rash until four to five days after the onset of the rash.

?If your child is unwell and you suspect it is measles you should contact your GP. Your child should not attend school or nursery for five days after the rash starts.

?Most people make a full recovery but there is a rare possibility of severe complications including serious eye disorders, deafness, brain damage and even death.

?Measles can be prevented by use of the safe and highly effective measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

?Parents can easily protect their children by having them immunised with the MMR vaccine. After completing a two-dose course of MMR, 99 per cent of children will be protected against measles.?

**Shiloh** · May 3, 2009, 06:04 AM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/ne...eak_confirmed/

Pembrokeshire measles outbreak confirmed

11:30am Sunday 3rd May 2009

The measles outbreak in Pembrokeshire has been confirmed, with suspected cases in the county increasing from eight to 11.

Having previously reported 20 suspected cases in west Wales, the National Public Health Service has now identified a further ten cases.

The figures include two confirmed and nine suspected cases in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock. A further 19 suspected cases are being investigated in the Llanelli area.

Children aged up to 16 who have not received two doses of the MMR vaccination are being invited to do so.

Patients over 16 who have not been immunised, should contact their GP. Parents who suspect that their child has measles, should seek medical advice.

**Shiloh** · May 12, 2009, 07:47 AM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/he...1466-23602880/

Largest measles outbreak in Wales affects 109
May 12 2009 Madeleine Brindley, WalesOnline

MORE than 100 people have been infected with measles in Wales? largest outbreak of the disease in modern years.

National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) officials are investigating 109 cases in Mid and West Wales ? the majority in children.

The NPHS today said that calls for parents to vaccinate their children with MMR have so far had having disappointing results.

But it said that vaccination with the triple measles, mumps and rubella jab is the only way to stop the spread of the virus.

Three different outbreaks of measles have caused 62 of the cases ? there are 14 cases (three confirmed and 11 probable) related to an outbreak in South Pembrokeshire, 43 cases (six confirmed, 19 probable and 18 suspected) in Llanelli and five probable cases in Burry Port.

The cases have affected children from as young as five months to adults in their late 40s.

The other 47 cases ? six in Pembrokeshire, six in Carmarthenshire, four in Ceredigion, one in Powys, 15 in Swansea, five in Neath Port Talbot and 10 in Bridgend ? have no clear connection to the three outbreaks.

Dr Mac Walapu, consultant in communicable disease control for the NPHS, said: ?Last month the NPHS wrote to all parents or guardians of unvaccinated children in South Pembrokeshire and Llanelli urging them to have their children vaccinated but the response was disappointing, particularly in Llanelli.

?In some schools, the vaccination uptake is as low as 14.8%.

?To see so many cases of measles at one time is highly alarming, especially when you consider that we saw 39 cases in Wales during the whole of 2008, only 13 the year before and none at all in 2005.

?It is of great concern to us that in the Llanelli area alone there are 800 primary school children and 2,100 secondary school children who are vulnerable.

?The virus will continue to circulate until the susceptible population have been infected and the only way this will stop is for people to come forward for the MMR vaccine.?

**Shiloh** · May 18, 2009, 01:58 PM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8056328.stm

Page last updated at 16:25 GMT, Monday, 18 May 2009 17:25 UK

Hospital treats four for measles

Four children are being treated in hospital after contracting measles, the National Public Health Service (NPHS) has said.

The children went to a nursery in the Burry Port area of Carmarthenshire. Thirty two others have since been vaccinated.

Official figures show 127 cases of measles have been reported in mid and west Wales in recent weeks.

Parents are urged to ensure their children are vaccinated.

Officials have said a special session, to vaccinate 32 people who had come into contact with the four children, was held on Friday evening.

Four different outbreaks of measles account for 69 of the cases in Mid and West Wales with 14 cases related to an outbreak in South Pembrokeshire, 46 cases in Llanelli, four in Burry Port and five in Neath Port Talbot.

Cases are occurring across all age groups from children as young as five months to adults in their late 40s.

The other 58 cases are sporadic cases with no clear connection to the three outbreaks.

They are broken down as: Six cases in Pembrokeshire, six in Carmarthenshire, four in Ceredigion, two in Powys, 17 in Swansea, eight in Neath Port Talbot and 15 in Bridgend.

Dr Mac Walapu, consultant in Communicable Disease Control for the NPHS, said: "For as long as there are children who do not receive their MMR vaccinations, there is the potential for outbreaks of measles to happen and we would remind anyone in Wales, and not just in the affected area.

"There is no evidence of any child being harmed by the MMR vaccination but there is strong evidence that as many as one in 500 children who catch measles will die, and that another one in 500 will suffer permanent brain damage.

"With so many cases in the community, any child who has not received vaccination is at risk and parents must be aware of the potential consequences of not arranging immunisation for their children."

Official advice is that children should receive their first dose of the vaccine at the age of one and the second before they start school, and anyone in Wales who is older than this and has not received the full two doses of the vaccine should come forward for immunisation.

Dr Walapu added: "If your child is unwell and you suspect it is measles, you should contact your GP. Your child should not attend school or nursery for five days after the rash starts."

Many people who catch measles will have a fever, a rash and feel generally unwell. Typically, people will be infectious from a few days before the onset of their rash until four to five days after the onset of the rash.

**Shiloh** · May 19, 2009, 05:15 PM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/ne...l/article.html

Measles rise putting 3,000 pupils at risk
Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 12:07

HEALTH chiefs are warning that the measles outbreak in Llanelli is spreading at an alarming rate, putting the health of some 3,000 schoolchildren at serious risk.

The alert comes amid claims by head teachers and politicians that not enough has been done to stem the rising tide of cases sweeping the area.

Almost 130 cases are now being investigated in Mid and West Wales by the National Public Health Service (NPHS) ? more than triple the number of cases reported in the past three years in total.

Latest figures showed there were at least 46 in Llanelli.

And, of particular concern, four children from a Burry Port nursery have been admitted to hospital for treatment, while 32 others who had come into contact with them have been vaccinated at an emergency session.

Dr Richard Roberts, head of the vaccine preventable disease programme at the NPHS, said: "The numbers are very high and another worrying factor is that, whereas we have so far been able to track the links between cases and seen how the virus has spread, there are cases occurring now that have no clear connection.

"It appears this is more of a community outbreak and we would expect, particularly in Llanelli, to see a lot more cases."

Most people who have the illness make a full recovery but there is a rare possibility of severe complications including serious eye disorders, deafness, brain damage and even death.

Dr Roberts said: "The measles virus is so infectious that in an un-immunised population one case can produce 10 or 12 others, compared to the flu virus which produces one or two other cases.

"It is important that parents check whether their children have been immunised and get them immunised."

**Shiloh** · May 19, 2009, 05:18 PM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8057508.stm

Why the NHS is facing measles fight

By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News

Public health experts in Wales refer to it as the newspaper effect.

During the height of the scare over the link between the MMR vaccine and autism local papers ran vociferous campaigns warning parents about the supposed dangers of the jab.

The research, by Dr Andrew Wakefield, has now been discredited, but the problem is the damage has been done.

With vaccination levels down to 15% in some schools, the region is seeing record numbers of measles cases.

There are already more than 120 cases being investigated compared to just 39 in the whole of Wales last year. Back in 2005, there were none.

"Uptake rates for MMR are much lower than for other vaccinations," says Dr Mac Walapu, a measles expert at the National Public Health Service for Wales.

"Parents are taking a conscious decision not to get the MMR jab. We think that is down to the concerns that were raised when the research came out.

"The newspapers have admitted the research was wrong, but it is still hard to convince people of the truth."

Breeding ground

What seems to be happening in Wales - and across the rest of the UK for that matter - is that the children who were not vaccinated at the height of the MMR scare at the turn of the century are the ones who are now mixing in the school yard.

In Llanelli alone - a town with fewer than 50,000 residents - there are thought to be 800 primary school children and 2,100 secondary school pupils who are not vaccinated.

This creates a breeding ground for the virus to be passed on throughout the community.

For a number of years the UK has been struggling to get to a 95% vaccination rate, the level needed for herd immunity whereby even unvaccinated individuals are protected because the disease cannot take a hold.

Scotland has only just achieved the level, but in England and Wales even uptake of the first of the two courses of the vaccine is only at 85%.

The effect is clear. In 2008, there were 1,348 cases of measles in England and Wales compared to 56 a decade ago.

London has been particularly badly hit, although this week the north east announced it was seeing a dramatic rise with 37 cases confirmed so far in 2009 and another 100 suspected compared to just 17 last year.

The cases have been predominantly in children under 18 and have prompted health officials to run catch up campaigns to try to get more children and teenagers vaccinated.

In England, Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson has given local NHS trusts between ?30,000 and ?60,000 to target the 3m young people who are thought to have missed out on inoculation.

Spread

A spokeswoman for the Health Protection Agency, which coordinates the vaccination programme in England and Wales, said: "We have reached the point where there are sufficient numbers of unvaccinated children in the population to sustain the spread of the disease.

"It has become very hard to stop. What is particularly concerning is that there are vulnerable people who have underlying medical conditions or are allergic to vaccinations who cannot be vaccinated.

"Measles can kill and it is especially risky for these people. That is forgotten."

But the UK is not alone in struggling with measles, which causes fever and can have serious complications including pneumonia and encephalitis.

Over the last two years there have been more than 12,000 cases across Europe with high rates in Italy, Germany and Switzerland in particular.

And to think that in the early 1990s experts thought they had seen the back of measles, prompting the World Health Organization to set a 2010 deadline to eradicate the disease.

**Shiloh** · May 19, 2009, 05:23 PM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8057661.stm

Page last updated at 12:43 GMT, Tuesday, 19 May 2009 13:43 UK

Measles outbreak 'worst in years'
Video

Health chiefs in Wales are dealing with a "massive" measles outbreak, with numbers already four times the highest figure recorded over the past 13 years.

Four nursery school children were treated in hospital as part of 127 cases across mid and west Wales, while there are another 35 cases in Conwy.

The National Public Health Service (NPHS) in Wales saw 39 cases last year. Its highest figure in 2003 was 44.

Officials appealed for parents to take up the MMR vaccine.

Dr Mac Walapu, consultant in communicable disease control for the NPHS, said: "For as long as there are children who do not receive their MMR vaccinations, there is the potential for outbreaks of measles to happen and we would remind anyone in Wales, and not just in the affected area."

The Hapus Dyfa nursery in Burryu Port
Children from the Hapus Dyfa nursery in Burry Port have been vaccinated

Why the NHS is facing a measles fight

A spokeswoman added: "We need to be up front with parents."

She added: "We try not to be too scary when we talk to people about this, but children die of measles and children are impaired by measles. "It puts children in hospital. The reality it is that this is happening now, in Wales. Measles is very contagious."

She said the outbreak was set to be the biggest in Wales since the MMR vaccine was introduced in 1998.

Four children aged under two, who went to the Hapus Dyrfa nursery in Burry Port, were admitted to hospital but are now home.

The nursery has been following the NPHS guidelines and remains open.

Thirty two children have since been vaccinated.

Last week, the NPHS said its research had shown the MMR uptake in one school in the Carmarthenshire area was as low as 14.8%.

The vaccine needs a 95% uptake to achieve the herd immunity needed to ensure the disease cannot take a hold in individuals who are not vaccinated.

Latest figures show that 86% of two-year-olds in Wales have been given the MMR vaccine, ranging in different areas from 78% to 92%.

This is short of the 95% target which has already been achieved in Scotland. The figure for England is around 85%.

Official advice is that children should receive their first dose of the vaccine at the age of one and the second before they start school, and anyone in Wales who is older than this and has not received the full two doses of the vaccine should come forward for immunisation.

**Shiloh** · May 20, 2009, 07:37 AM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wa...1466-23667131/

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Measles cases reach 127 in area that shunned MMR jab

May 20 2009 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

A CHILD could die from measles if the outbreak in Mid and West Wales continues to grow, public health experts have warned.

There are currently 127 cases ? both probable and confirmed ? in the area, which was the heart of the anti-MMR campaign.

Four children, all under two, who attended a nursery in Burry Port, in Carmarthenshire, have already been hospitalised after catching measles.

Public health experts say many people in Wales have forgotten how serious measles is.

Dr Marion Lyons, lead consultant in communicable disease control at the National Public Health Service for Wales, said: ?A death is always a possibility ? there is a mortality rate associated with measles.

?The more cases we see, the more likely it is because the odds are against us.

?The situation is moving very fast in Mid and West Wales and we don?t know which child will be the one in 500 ? the next case could be the child who gets encephalitis.

?In Ireland, during the last significant outbreak, there were more than 1,000 cases, two deaths and a number of children who were severely disabled afterwards.?

There are currently four different outbreaks of measles in Mid and West Wales which account for 69 of the cases ? 14 are related to an outbreak in South Pembrokeshire, 46 cases in Llanelli, four in Burry Port and five in Neath Port Talbot.

The remaining 58 cases ? six in Pembrokeshire, six in Carmarthenshire, four in Ceredigion, two in Powys, 17 in Swansea, eight in Neath Port Talbot and 15 in Bridgend ? are sporadic and have no clear connection to the other outbreaks.

Those affected have been aged from five months to their late 40s.

Dr Lyons said: ?Measles is a very sickening illness ? a child will feel very unwell for four or five days before the rash appears.

?They can have a nasty form of conjunctivitis, a runny nose and upper respiratory tract symptoms and then get the rash, which can again make a child feel very sick.

?The complication rate is very high ? one in 10 get an ear infection and one in 20 pneumonia.

?One in 500 will have inflammation of the brain and a large proportion of those will suffer severe brain damage, and globally one in 500 die from measles.

?I am worried because we have forgotten how severe measles is. In 2000 we didn?t have a case and there will be lots of young doctors and parents who have never seen it. We have also forgotten about the consequences of measles.?

Dr Ian Millington, a GP in Swansea and secretary of the Morgannwg Local Medical Committee, added: ?We are seeing measles for the first time in many years and there seems to be an information gap about what measles is and how severe it can be.?

These outbreaks have been caused by the low take-up rate of MMR, sparked by Dr Andrew Wakefield?s 1998 research which linked the jab to autism and bowel disease.

Dr Lyons said: ?What we are seeing in West Wales in some communities is perhaps as many as four out of five children who are not adequately protected because they have either only had one dose of MMR or none at all.

?Parents made these decisions [not to have MMR] because they thought it was best for their children at a time when the illness wasn?t here. I would ask them to rethink that because measles is here and it is a serious illness.?

Andrew RT Davies, the Conservatives? Shadow Health Minister, said: ?I am concerned that recent fears about the MMR jab have led to some parents opting out of having their children vaccinated against potentially life-threatening diseases.

?The Assembly Government and local health boards must reassure parents that the vaccine is safe and provide them with information to have their children immunised.?

**Shiloh** · May 22, 2009, 06:46 AM

Re: Wales: Measle outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wa...1466-23686214/

Pupil at measles outbreak school in Llanelli gets meningococcal disease

May 22 2009 by Robin Turner, Western Mail
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A CHILD has been taken ill with meningococcal disease in an area hit by an outbreak of measles.

The unnamed child is a pupil at Llanelli?s 830-pupil Stradey Comprehensive School and is said to be in a stable condition.

All parents at Stradey have been sent letters by the National Public Health Service for Wales offering advice on identifying symptoms and saying what was being done to contain any outbreak. Health officials have already expressed concern at an outbreak of measles among children in Burry Port.

A Meningitis Trust spokesman said: ?Meningococcal disease is a life-threatening infection. It is a term used to describe two major illnesses ? meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning). These can occur on their own or more commonly both together. It can strike at any age, but most cases occur in babies and young children. The next most vulnerable group are teenagers and young adults.?

Most people recover well but meningococcal disease requires quick medical treatment as around 7% of cases will result in death and 15% of victims can be left with disabling after-effects, he said.

The measles outbreak has been linked to large numbers of people not having received two doses of the triple MMR vaccine.

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FfionHaf wrote:
I am the Community Development Officer for the Meningitis Trust in the South Wales area, and I would like to reassure parents of children at Stradey School and other schools in the area, that The Meningitis Trust is here to help at this uncertain time. The Meningitis Trust offers free advice and information about meningitis and septicaemia and parents can access this advice by calling our 24 hour nurse-led helpline on 0800 028 18 28 or by visiting our website www.meningitis-trust.org. As you local contact for the area, I am also at hand to come and give talks, presentation and advice whenever and wherever needed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
22/5/2009 9:52 AM BST on walesonline.co.uk

**Shiloh** · May 26, 2009, 05:38 PM

Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.flintshirechronicle.co.uk...1352-23717910/

Measles outbreak in North Wales

May 26 2009 by Lois York, Flintshire Chronicle

THE National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) is investigating an outbreak of measles in North Wales that has now resulted in 53 cases and led to two people being hospitalised.

The NPHS is reminding parents that measles is a potentially fatal disease and their children remain at risk if they are overdue for their MMR vaccination.

Children should receive their first dose of the vaccine at 13 months of age and the second at around three years and four months of age.

Anyone in Wales who should have received two doses of MMR but has missed out remains at risk of catching measles.

The measles cases are all in and around the Llandudno area and are linked to outbreaks in two schools, Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn and Ysgol John Bright.

Elsewhere in Wales, there are 147 measles cases in Mid and West Wales with 23 people having been admitted to hospital, and seven cases in South East Wales including one person admitted to hospital.

Many people who catch measles will have a fever, a rash and feel generally unwell. Typically, people will be infectious from a few days before the onset of their rash until four to five days after the onset of the rash.

More information about measles is available from the NPHS website at https://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page...=719&pid=23148.

**Shiloh** · May 26, 2009, 05:40 PM

Re: Wales: Measles outbreak 2009

Source: http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Health&F=1&id=16857

Death fear as measles soars in Wales

26/5/2009

The National Public Health Service for Wales is investigating 207 measles cases across Wales, with 26 people in hospital.

Dr Marion Lyons, Head of the Health Protection Teams for the NPHS, said: ?With 26 people now admitted to hospital because of these measles outbreaks - some of them having spent time in Intensive Care Units - we fear it is only a matter of time before someone dies or is left permanently affected by measles."

The NPHS continues to remind parents that measles is a potentially fatal disease and that their children remain at risk if they are overdue for their MMR vaccination.

Children should receive their first dose of the vaccine at 13 months of age and the second at around three years and four months of age.

Anyone in Wales who should have received two doses of MMR but has missed out remains at risk of catching measles.

There have now been 147 cases of measles in the Mid and West Wales area, with 23 people admitted to hospital, 53 cases in the Llandudno area with two people admitted to hospital, and seven cases in South East Wales with one person admitted to hospital.

Eighty-nine of the cases in Mid and West Wales are linked to four outbreaks in the South Pembrokeshire, Llanelli, Burry Port and Neath Port Talbot areas, while the others are sporadic cases across seven county areas

The measles cases in North Wales are all in and around the Llandudno area and are linked to outbreaks in two schools, Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn and Ysgol John Bright.

Five of the South East Wales cases have family links to the Mid and West Wales cases while the others are sporadic.

Dr Lyons said: ?For as long as there are children who do not receive their MMR vaccinations, there is the potential for people to become ill with measles.

?With so many cases in the community, any child who is overdue for vaccination is at risk and we are urging parents who have still not arranged immunisation for their children to act immediately.

?MMR is a safe vaccine that protects children from the most severe viral rash illness of childhood. There is strong evidence that worldwide, as many as one in 500 children who catch measles will die, and another one in 500 will suffer permanent brain damage.

?The people most at risk of catching measles are children of school age or children between the ages of one and four who are not up-to-date with their vaccinations. Although we are seeing cases of measles in adults, it is rare for anyone born before 1970 to catch measles.?

Many people who catch measles will have a fever, cough, red eyes, and blocked nose and feel generally unwell. The blotchy rash appears a few days later beginning on the face and spreading downwards to the rest of the body over several days.

Typically, people will be infectious from the day before their first symptoms until four to five days after the appearance of the rash.

Dr Lyons added: ?If your child is unwell and you suspect it is measles, you should contact your GP. Your child should not attend school or nursery for five days after the rash starts.

?After completing a two-dose course of the MMR vaccine - which also offers protection against mumps and rubella - 99 per cent of children will be protected against measles.?

Announcement

Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 378 cases; 41 hospitalized

Wales: Measles outbreak 2009 - 378 cases; 41 hospitalized

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