VIRAL LOAD
‘Avoid public transport, shops and school’, experts tell measles sufferers as cases surge
Plus, how to tell if your child is eligible for a first, second or catch-up dose of the MMR jab
BRITS have been warned to avoid public transport and busy areas if they have measles symptoms to help stop the spread of the highly infectious bug.
It comes amid a surge of cases in children as health officials scramble to battle the outbreak and boost uptake of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
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“Measles is a highly infectious disease," Prof Beate Kampmann of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told The Sun, "and anyone with symptoms needs to stay at home as they risk infecting other people."
Early symptoms of measles include a high temperature, runny or blocked nose, sneezing, cough and red, sore or watery eyes.
This is followed a few days later by a rash, which starts on the face and behind the ears before it spreads.
If your child is diagnosed with measles by a doctor, you should continue to avoid all public areas for at least four days after the rash appears, Cariad Evans, a virologist from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, says.
Read more on measles
She says: "Children are infectious four days before the onset of rash and four days after, so we recommend that children with the bug stay home during this time.
"The main risk of transmission is when in a room with people for 15 minutes or longer or face to face contact.”
"This would mean avoiding public transport and busy areas where they may expose others," she explains.
How does measles spread exactly?
Measles spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
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And while there is no specific treatment for the bug, it can be prevented with the MMR jab.
Unvaccinated children who come into contact with the disease are currently being advised to stay at home for 21 days.
This is because measles is very contagious, with a patient typically passing the viral infection on to 20 others.
Dr Chris Bird, an A&E consultant at Birmingham Children's Hospital, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the bug is "about ten times more infectious than Covid".
What does the measles vaccine data say?
A staggering 3.4million under 16s are at risk of catching the virus as they have only had one or neither MMR jab to protect against it.
Hundreds have already fallen ill, and up to one in five infected over the coming weeks could require hospital treatment, the government says.
NHS England chief Amanda Pritchard told BBC News this week there was “real concern” about measles cases.
She said 116 patients went to hospitals with measles in the first two and a half weeks this month, a tenfold increase on the same period last year.
Many people have forgotten how serious measles can be
Professor Helen Bedford
While measles usually triggers mild symptoms, it can lead to lifelong disabilities and even death.
It can affect the lungs and brain and cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures.
To keep measles at bay, 95 per cent of children must be vaccinated.
But recent NHS data shows only 84.5 per cent of children in England had received the second MMR dose by their fifth birthday.
Coverage in London is particularly low, at just 73 per cent, with Hackney in east London at 56.3 per cent, followed by Camden in north London at 63.6 per cent.
Urgent, "concerted action" is needed to tackle the virus to stop its spread, according to health specialists and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
What about case numbers?
Amid a resurgence, UKHSA figures show 216 confirmed measles cases and 103 probable cases in the West Midlands since October 1 last year.
The majority (80 per cent) were in Birmingham, with the remainder in Coventry. Most were in children under 10.
Between January 2023 and November 2023, 104 cases were confirmed in London.
Eight cases were found in the North West of England, with the same number for the East Midlands.
Meanwhile, were 24 cases across the South West and South East of England.
Seven cases were confirmed in the East of England and three in the North East.
In the West Midlands, 28 cases were confirmed over the same period.
But the region has seen a surge of 216 cases over five months between October 2023 and January 2024.
Earlier this month, Birmingham Children’s Hospital reported being inundated with the most measles cases it's seen in decades.
Professor Helen Bedford, an expert in child public health at University College London, told The Sun, people "had forgotten how serious this disease [measles] can be because they've never seen them".
In 2017, the UK was declared measles-free after vaccination rates hit the 95 per cent threshold.
But, the country lost that status in 2018 after a drop in vaccination rates led to a resurgence of the virus across Europe.
Tens of thousands of children missed out on the MMR vaccine in the 1990s because of the now-debunked autism fears raised by discredited medic Andrew Wakefield.
And it's not just the UK seeing a surge in cases. There has been an "alarming" 4,300 per cent rise in infections across Europe.
World Health Organization (WHO) data shows 42,200 cases were reported across 41 of the 53 member states in 2023, compared with 941 cases in 2022.
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WHO’s regional director, Dr Hans Kluge, added: "Vaccination is the only way to protect children from this potentially dangerous disease.
"Urgent vaccination efforts are needed to halt transmission and prevent further spread.
MMR vaccinations and when to have them
IT'S important that jabs are given on time for the best protection, but if you or your child missed a vaccine, contact your GP to catch up.
MMR is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme.
Kids are offered their first dose aged one and their second at three years at four months, just before their start school.
However, if they, or any one else, has missed any jabs, they can catch up at any time through their GP surgery.
If you don't know if you or your child isn't up to date with their jabs, call your GP for an appointment.
You can catch up on missed vaccines at any age.
Source: UKHSA
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