Action to prevent the spread of measles in Greater Manchester

Parents in Greater Manchester where there have been 111 confirmed cases of measles this year are being urged to have their children vaccinated. There were 21 confirmed cases in Greater Manchester in 2011.

Dr. Rosemary McCann, Interim Director of the HPA’s Greater Manchester Health Protection Unit, said: “This has been the worst year we’ve seen for measles for many years. It’s a highly infectious disease that spreads easily amongst people who aren’t fully immunised against it.

“Thankfully MMR uptake rates amongst young children are now high and continuing to improve, but we are seeing cases in older unvaccinated children, teenagers and adults who were not fully vaccinated as children. We’re also seeing measles in babies and toddlers who are too young to be vaccinated. These young babies will always be vulnerable when there’s measles in a family or in the community generally.

“Our advice is quite clear. Parents should have their children vaccinated at the appropriate times. Parents of older children who weren’t vaccinated as children should speak to the family doctor and arrange for them to be vaccinated now. Teenagers and young adults who missed out on immunisation as toddlers should understand that it is never too late. They should speak to their GPs and ask if it is appropriate for them to be vaccinated now.”

Two doses of MMR vaccine protect against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). The first dose is given to toddlers at the age of 13 months and the second at about the age of three-and-a-half years, before the child goes to school.

Dr. McCann added: “There’s a major outbreak of measles on Merseyside, which isn’t too far away from here, where they’ve had more than 550 laboratory confirmed cases. Approximately one-third of these patients needed inpatient treatment in hospital and a number were seriously ill, reminding us all that measles should not be lightly dismissed as just another childhood illness.”

The HPA is advising people with symptoms of measles to:

• Stay away from school, nursery or work until five days have elapsed after the onset of a rash.
• Telephone your GP or NHS walk-in centre before attending so that arrangements can be made for you to be treated in isolation from other patients.
• Do not go to A & E unless you are really ill. In these circumstances you should inform the hospital in advance, or ask your GP surgery to notify the hospital, so that you can be treated in isolation from other patients.
• Avoid contact with people generally, but particularly babies, pregnant women and anyone who is known to have poor immunity to infection.