Vaccination drive as measles reappears in Greater Manchester

Parents are being urged to protect their children with two doses of MMR vaccine following a small outbreak of measles in Greater Manchester.

Three confirmed cases of measles have been reported in the last week from across Greater Manchester. The cases are aged between one and 10 years and are responding well to treatment at home.

These are the first confirmed cases of measles in the whole of Greater Manchester this year. Last year there were 39 confirmed cases in Greater Manchester and 79 for the North West region.

Dr Rosemary McCann, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control with the Health Protection Agency said, "These cases prove that it is still vitally important for children to have both doses of MMR, which will give life-long protection against measles, mumps and rubella".

"These are potentially serious illnesses and we are advising parents that if their child has missed one or both doses of MMR, they should contact their GP to arrange vaccination."
The most effective protection against measles infection is full immunisation with two doses of MMR vaccine. The doses are normally given at 13 months of age and just before going to school between the ages of 3 and 4 years.

Measles is an infectious viral illness that is spread by droplets in the air when infected people cough or sneeze. The most common symptoms are fever, cough, sore eyes and a rash that develops 3-4 days after the onset of illness, starting with the face and head and spreading down the body.

Parents who suspect that their child may have measles should not take children with symptoms to their GP surgery or local hospital accident and emergency unit where they might risk passing on infection to other vulnerable children. They should first seek advice by telephoning their GP surgery or NHS Direct, the 24-hour nurse-led telephone information service.

People are infectious from just before they become unwell to around 4 days after the onset of the rash. Those affected should stay off school or work for 5 days from the onset of the rash.

More information is also available at the following websites:
http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk  (NHS immunisation information website)
http://www.hpa.org.uk  (The Health Protection Agency Website)
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk  (NHS Direct Website)