This year in Ireland, four cases of measles have been officially confirmed, as per the latest statistics from the country’s health authority responsible for monitoring infectious diseases, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). The HPSC’s most recent weekly review of the sickness, released on Thursday, revealed that five additional potential cases were reported between 3rd and 9th March, though none of these have been laboratory validated till now.
The year’s commencement has seen a fatal case of measles, with the demise of a man from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, last month, who contracted the infection in Birmingham, England. Outbreaks in the UK and other parts of Europe are still active, increasing the vigilance towards measles among medical practitioners in Ireland.
Passengers flying from Abu Dhabi to Dublin earlier this week have been advised by HSE to watch for measles symptoms, following the validation of an afflicted individual on the same flight. Indications of measles can fluctuate and include symptoms as common as a runny nose, sneezing and cough, inflamed painful red eyes, a temperature of 38 degrees or above, and a rash that first appears in the region of the head and neck.
The HSE announced on Thursday their pending plans for a wider implementation of a proactive MMR vaccine initiative, as a reaction to the growing cases of measles in the UK and Europe. The statement clarified that HSE currently provides an MMR vaccine within its childhood immunisation timetable for children aged 12 months and Junior Infant pupils aged 4-5 years. An MMR catch-up treatment is also offered for free via participating GPs for individuals who may not have been vaccinated in their younger years.
The upcoming wider program will focus on children, young adults, health workers and vulnerable groups such as refugees, people seeking international protection and individuals experiencing homelessness, who currently demonstrate lower vaccine uptake rates. As per existing public health guidance, individuals born in Ireland before 1978 are considered to have been exposed to measles during their childhood and are thus, unlikely to need the MMR vaccine.