Clare measles victims hospitalised

THE Mid-West Health Service Executive (HSE) has urged Clare parents to ensure their children have been vaccinated with the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) jab after two confirmed cases in Clare required hospital admission.
In a statement issued to The Clare Champion, the regional health authority revealed seven cases of measles have been diagnosed in Clare, four confirmed and three possible cases.
Of the Clare cases, one was an adult, two were children under one year and four were aged between one and two years.
Two of these cases were treated in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
The national outbreak of this infectious disease occurring in Ireland since September 2009 is being mirrored in the Mid-West, where there have been 12 confirmed cases and eight suspected cases, compared to just two in the whole of last year.
While some of the Mid-West cases have required hospital admission, most have been managed at home. Nationally, one in 10 cases have required hospital care.
The most recent vaccination uptake figures show a 94% uptake for the MMR vaccine in Clare, 90% in Limerick and 95% in North Tipperary, giving an overall rate of 93% for the Mid-West.
The Mid-West HSE is also encouraging Clare GPs to offer the MMR vaccine to all unvaccinated children who present in their clinics.
A HSE spokeswoman pointed out that measles is a notifiable disease.
“It is important that all suspected cases are reported to the Department of Public Health as soon as they present so that the appropriate control measures can be put in place, if necessary,” she said.
People are being warned to look out for symptoms of measles, including high temperature, dry cough, sensitivity to light and body rash.
About 30% of cases have one of more complications, including pneumonia, conjunctivitis, breathing difficulties and in rare cases, panencephalitis, a degenerative disease, which can result in death.
According to the HSE, vaccination is the only way to protect against this potentially serious disease.