- Number of confirmed cases has risen to 588
- Up to 20 new cases a day are being reported by GPs, with 109 new ones in a week over the Easter period
- Health officials have estimated around 3,800 children in the Swansea area have still not had the MMR vaccine
By
Anna Hodgekiss
10:05 EST, 5 April 2013
|
10:15 EST, 5 April 2013
The number of confirmed cases of measles in the Swansea epidemic has risen to 588, health officials in Wales said today.
The latest figures show that 40 new cases of the disease have been diagnosed since Wednesday.
Up to 20 new cases a day are being reported by GPs, with 109 new ones in a week over the Easter period.
Health officials have estimated around 3,800 children in the Swansea area have still not had the MMR vaccine and parents are being asked to act.
With cases of measles continuing to soar, parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated
Special vaccination clinics have been arranged for this weekend, as fears grow about the virus spreading to neighbouring areas.
Dr Marion Lyons, Director of Health Protection for Public Health Wales, said: ‘The alarming numbers of cases of measles and continuing spread of the disease in Wales illustrates how vital it is for parents to get their children vaccinated.
‘Unvaccinated children aged between six and 12 months living in or travelling to the outbreak areas of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot can be offered vaccination by their GP.
‘There’s no adverse effect to this extra jab and those children would still need to receive the recommended two doses at 13 months and three years four months.’
Dr Lyons added that increasing numbers of people coming forward for the MMR vaccination was encouraging – with just under 600 people in the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board area alone receiving an unscheduled MMR vaccine in the past seven days.
‘We are really pleased to see that 586 people have proactively got the MMR vaccine over the past week, on top of those already scheduled to have it,’ she added.
‘Though this is a good start, there are still thousands of children who have not had both doses of the MMR jab and so are still at risk from becoming infected with the potentially fatal measles virus.
‘The risk to unvaccinated children in Wales is increasing as the disease
spreads.
The number of confirmed cases of measles (pictured) in the Swansea epidemic has risen to 588, Public Health Wales has confirmed
‘You only need one or two people who haven’t had the
vaccination in a community to put at risk babies, toddlers and anyone
else who is vulnerable, such as children with leukaemia who cannot have
the vaccination and pregnant women who haven’t been vaccinated.
‘Ninety per cent of children receiving one dose of MMR are very quickly
protected against measles. For those completing the recommended two-dose
course of MMR, 99 per cent of children will be protected against
measles.’
She warned: ‘Their health is dependent on those with whom they have
close contact being fully protected against measles so that it cannot
spread to them.
‘The current pattern of cases and spread of illness indicates that this
outbreak is likely to continue into the summer months and the risks to
unvaccinated individuals will increase as more people become infected.
‘Protection against the risk of measles by getting MMR vaccination is safe, simple and effective.’
Drop-in MMR vaccination clinics are being held by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board between 10am and 4pm on Saturday April 6 at Morriston Hospital, Singleton Hospital, the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend and the Paediatric Outpatients at Neath Port Talbot Hospital.
No appointments are necessary. Children and adolescents who have not had their scheduled MMR jabs will be targeted, but officials say ‘no-one will be turned away, including adults’.
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“My son, who is now 15, stopped speaking 3 days after his first mmr vaccine, i foolishly allowed him to have the second, after which he had constant bowel problems.â€
– sarah1968, Telford, United Kingdom, 5/4/2013 22:35
Sarah, the problem with these forums on vaccines is that lots of anti-vaxxers make up stories similar to your own, in an attempt to mislead people and kill children. That’s the problem with anecdotal evidence, it can’t be verified by anyone else. There is also no evidence in your account that your son’s problems actually came from the vaccine.
ZedsDeadBed
,
Truro_UK,
05/4/2013 22:52
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My son, who is now 15, stopped speaking 3 days after his first mmr vaccine, i foolishly allowed him to have the second, after which he had constant bowel problems. He was finally diagnosed as autistic at 11. He was perfect until he had his mmr, the change in him was so quick. My next child only had the first mmr, and my next child had her first at 6. If the government are so concerned then stop the mmr and give the measles vaccine on its own.
sarah1968
,
Telford, United Kingdom,
05/4/2013 22:35
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“This is great news. Vaccines, Big Pharma and science generally are doing nothing but harm. Say no to vaccines! Say no to Big Pharma! Say no to science!â€
– The Truth, London, 5/4/2013 21:53
I hope, for the sake of your mental health, that that was a parody comment. I think it was. If so, spot on! Almost impossible to tell apart from a real anti-vaxxer.
ZedsDeadBed
,
Truro_UK,
05/4/2013 22:11
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Perhaps as there is an epidemic the single measles vaccines should be offered on the NHS. Considering the amount of health tourists we support the cost of providing this on the NHS would be minimal.
Fedup England
,
London,
05/4/2013 22:06
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the cases of measles being reported are in older kids who did not have the MMR due to Wakefield telling everyone it was linked to autism. The children who are now being vaccinated are rangeing in age from 6 to their teens. Therefore if there is a link to autism, we will now have teenagers who suddenly regress into autism!!! or could it be what they having been telling us all along, that there is no link between MMR and autism.
nathsmum01
,
wallasey,
05/4/2013 21:56
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This is great news. Vaccines, Big Pharma and science generally are doing nothing but harm. Say no to vaccines! Say no to Big Pharma! Say no to science!
The Truth
,
London,
05/4/2013 21:53
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scare tactics not, measles can kill, its idiots like you and the media that are so ill informed they put their own kids at risk and the health of others
lisa3
,
london,
05/4/2013 21:50
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In Brazil you can not enroll a child in school without an updated vaccination card . I thought in the first world it was even more rigorous.
Tweela
,
São Paulo, Brazil,
05/4/2013 21:11
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“The children who are vaccinated will be safe, so why worry?â€
– BETTY BOO , Disneyland, 05/4/2013 18:58
Yet another anti-vaxxer keen to prove they’ve no idea what they’re talking about. Babies and people with compromised immune systems are not vaccinated, so can catch it and die if others don’t take their vaccines It’s called herd immunity. Are you really to dim to know that, or are you just pretending not to to make your point?
ZedsDeadBed
,
Truro_UK,
05/4/2013 20:56
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I’m an OAP and in my day we all had mumps, chickenpox and measles without suffering any ill effects.
– C J Ireland, Ireland, 5/4/2013 18:49 – Sorry you are wrong. It maybe true that your generation all had mumps, chickenpox and measles, but all of you didn’t come thorough that experience without ill effect. Some of your generation died as children, some were harmed for the rest of their lives.
alsodrawn
,
generic place name,
05/4/2013 20:54
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