We have been receiving enquiries regarding the current concern about Measles.
Let’s start with the good news:
Measles has been very rare in Ireland for many years, primarily due to vaccination, and vaccination remains very effective at prevention. Even if Ireland were to experience some clusters of measles infection, vaccinated individuals are most unlikely to catch it. We know that in the practice our vaccination rates are quite high, however there are some parents who for different reasons did not available of the MMR vaccine for their children, and in the event of an outbreak, these children may be more at risk. The HSE has set up a catch-up vaccine programme for children aged between 14 months and 10 years old inclusive who did not receive the MMR vaccine when they were 12 months old, and/or age 4-5 years old in junior infants. If you would like to avail of this, please contact the surgery.
What is important to remember is that most respiratory illnesses in children are not measles, however if you feel that your child might have measles, please telephone the surgery for advice first. Individuals with suspected measles should be isolated, and certainly not brought into busy waiting rooms.
The HSE has prepared some general information about Measles