Immunisation essential to avert measles danger

Measles

Parents are being urged to protect their children against measles after two Manchester youngsters contracted the potentially deadly infection.

The two cases, and another probable one — the first in the city since 2006 — have led medics to renew their calls to parents to ensure their children have the two MMR vaccines.

Doctors leader Kailash Chand said: “These are potentially serious illnesses and five-year-olds are vulnerable to them because they have not had the two doses of MMR needed to protect them.

“The message is simple, if your child has not had the second dose of the MMR vaccine, see your GP, practice nurse, health visitor or school nurse to arrange it.

“Measles can have complications which can be quite horrendous.”

MMR take-up across Greater Manchester remains worryingly low, with 17 out of the 20 cases confirmed in the North-West last year occurring in the county.

Hugh Lamont, North-West communications manager at the Health Protection Agency said: “Whatever the take-up rate for a particular town is, there will be pockets of each borough where the take-up is even lower than the average and it is these areas that are particularly vulnerable and could fuel a spread of the virus.

“We have the potential to eradicate diseases like measles, but for this to happen we need to make sure that 95 per cent of children are immunised.”

“I understand that this is a difficult issue for parents, with all the recent concerns about autism, but the issue has been resolved now and experts across the world are unanimous in their view that the MMR vaccine is safe, proven and effective.”

Measles symptoms include fever, cough, sore eyes and a rash.

While most patients make a full recovery, some experience serious complications including pneumonia, meningitis, and occasionally even death.

The most effective protection against measles infection is full immunisation with two doses of the MMR vaccine.

These are normally given at 13 months and just before going to school at four or five.