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Measles outbreak in Gibraltar

Thursday, 14 August 2008 10:00

Measles outbreak in Gibraltar

Health authority urges parents to immunise childre

During the last week, the Director of Public Health has been notified of 17 cases of Measles in Gibraltar. Most of the cases seen so far have been in children under 18 years and predominantly in children who had not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. Children who have not contracted disease naturally and those who are unvaccinated, are now at great risk.
Measles is a very unpleasant disease although nowadays quite rare. Most people will have a mild attack with fever and rash, but it should be remembered that the disease is capable of causing some very serious consequences. Complications such as fits or even bacterial infection and pneumonia can develop. Adults as well as children can get the disease, but it tends to affect small children more often. However, many adults will have caught the disease as a child and will therefore be immune.
Measles is preventive with the MMR vaccine, which is available free on Gibraltar’s health service. The Vaccine was first introduced in 1989, but unfortunately it encountered adverse publicity in the UK in the late 1990s, causing some parents not to immunise their child. These fears have subsequently been disproved by several large international studies, the results of which are widely published on NHS websites and elsewhere. The World Health Organisation (WHO) calls the MMR vaccine “a highly effective vaccine with an outstanding safety record”. Fortunately, in Gibraltar, the uptake of vaccine has generally been good.
The Gibraltar Health Authority is urging all parents of children, who have not had the MMR vaccine, to get their children immunised as soon as possible. This course will consist of two injections, approximately three month apart.
Arrangements are also being made to offer vaccine to younger children at earlier ages than usual, where it is felt that the child may be exposed to greater risk of catching the disease. Children can be immunised as early as 6 months.
For further information, please contact the child Welfare department at the Primary Care centre (tel: 72945) or your doctor. Public information is also available on the UK website: http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk

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