10 August 2009
Experts at Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals are urging local parents to get their children immunised against measles, after new figures show that vaccination rates in the UK are too low to protect the population properly.
Because measles spreads so easily, 95 per cent of the population needs to be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks. But, according to the Department of Health, the number of people having the vaccine is now lower than that.
Dr Jason Barling (Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine) works in the children's Emergency department at St Helier Hospital. He said: "Measles is a very unpleasant virus that causes a high temperature, a blanching rash (meaning it disappears when a glass is pressed against it) and general flu-like symptoms.
"But what makes the vaccination so important is the fact that measles can cause lasting damage which can be very severe, including deafness, seizures and brain damage.
"The chances of experiencing any long-term complications are low, but if the number of people catching measles increases, so too will that risk.
"An effective and safe way to prevent measles is to be fully vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, which also protects against mumps and rubella. It is vital that people who need the vaccine get in touch with their doctor."
Around one in 15 children who catch measles will develop more serious complications and one in 5,000 die. The year before the MMR vaccine was introduced, 86,000 children caught measles and 16 died.
While measles is more common in younger people, adults can also be very susceptible to it, and can often be more ill than children. People with measles will normally spend five days in bed and will need ten days off work or school.
Measles facts:
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Measles is most common among unvaccinated children and young adults aged one to 18 years and is very infectious. For the past year around 80 per cent measles cases have been in this age group.
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It is a serious disease that can lead to pneumonia and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and can even kill.
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Estimates suggest over two million children in England aged 18 months to 18 years have missed either their first or second MMR vaccination.
The MMR vaccine has previously been linked to autism, but subsequent studies have shown that there is no evidence to support this theory.
