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File photo of a measles-like rash Shutterstock/Aleksandr Finch
latest figures
Twenty measles cases confirmed in Ireland so far this year
A further 13 suspected cases are under investigation.
10.33am, 9 May 2024
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TWENTY MEASLES CASES have been confirmed in Ireland to date this year, according to the latest figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
Three outbreaks – where two or more confirmed cases are related – have occurred so far in 2024.
These three outbreaks all occurred in private houses and involved four cases, three cases, and two cases respectively.
In addition to the 20 confirmed cases, a further 13 probable or possible cases are currently under investigation.
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Each suspected case of measles needs to be tested in a laboratory before being confirmed as measles or denotified. Several possible measles cases have been declassified in recent weeks.
Measles is a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications, particularly in children under one year of age, pregnant women, and the immunosuppressed.
It typically starts with cold-like symptoms that develop about 10 days after a person gets infected. The person will get a rash a few days later.
Symptoms include:
Cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and a cough
Sore red eyes
A temperature of 38 degrees celsius or above
A rash, which usually appear on the head and neck before spreading to the rest of the body
Measles: What you need to know about the disease, vaccines and who is at risk
Some 310,000 people will be eligible for the vaccine under the programme which is estimated to cost €4.6 million. The vaccines will be administered by GPs and HSE vaccination teams.
Under the new programme, children and young adults not already vaccinated will be prioritised for vaccination.
The next priority group will be healthcare workers, followed by underserved groups such as homeless people, refugees and international protection applicants.
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@Robert Halvey: Looking at the latest immunisation rate for MMR in infants, it’s 89.9% for 3Q 2023, vaccination rates must be c. 95% to prevent outbreaks. Also, vaccination rates are trending down for all childhood vaccines, not just MMR. They’ve been slowly since a peak around 2012-2014. There’s a spreadsheet on this page that can be downloaded, contains detailed stats and charts. The immunization rates for all vaccines are below the 95% recommend mimum. So we’re not just risking measles outbreaks.
@Kevin Collins: those same anti Vax people that wouldn’t put the C19 crap into themselves. I will only take a vaccine that has gone through all the tests over 10 or 15 years before release. The flu Vax is tried and tested over decades with tweaks along the way. The C19 Vax was a rushed s h I t show.
@brendan C5: if you don’t view people who reneged on the covid vaccine as anti-vaxers, why have you taken offence at the use of the term? The comment never even mentioned the covid vaccine. Doth protesting too much and all that.
@brendan C5: So, would you have had the ‘flu vaccine 15 years ago, or are you somehow, in your own mind at least, relying on others to be the guinea pigs?
@brendan C5: COVID-19 vaccines are estimated to have 19.8 million lives within the first year they became available.
“Within the first year of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, it is estimated to have saved 19.8 million lives, and thus far, over 12 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in most countries around the world.”
@P. V. Aglue: Maybe so in North America where people can’t afford private healthcare. But when an established vaccine is free and publicly available, this isn’t about money. It’s more about other reasons why people can’t get to see a GP.
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