Parents are being reminded of the importance of having their children vaccinated against measles, particularly if they are travelling to Europe this summer.

According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), since the beginning of this year, there have been a number of large outbreaks of the disease in different parts of Europe.

One of the worst hit countries has been Wales, where more than 1,300 cases of measles have been reported. In April, Maurice Kelly of the HPSC warned that ‘measles outbreaks in any country to which there is substantial travel back and forth between Ireland is a concern'.

This led to a surge of interest in Irishhealth.com's Child Immunisation Tracker, with hundreds of parents registering with the service and downloading the app in a matter of days.

The tracker helps parents keep track of their children's vaccination history, while also sending them timely reminders of when a further vaccination is due. It also offers comprehensive information on vaccines to parents.

According to the HPSC, aside from Wales, over 900 cases of measles have been reported in Germany, while outbreaks have also been reported in popular holiday destinations such as France and Italy.

Meanwhile in Ireland, over 30 cases of the disease have been reported since the start of this year, with 17 of these residing in the HSE East region.

While the ages of those affected in Ireland range from nine months to 35 years, most are under the age of 10.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a viral infection. It causes cold-like symptoms and a rash, but can also lead to more serious complications, such as breathing difficulties, pneumonia and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

Children can be immunised against the disease via the MMR (measles mumps rubella) vaccine, however since the late 1990s, uptake of this vaccine has not been at optimum levels.

The decline in immunisation rates has been at least in part blamed on a widely publicised 1998 study claiming to have found a link between the measles vaccine and autism. The small study by Dr Andrew Wakefield was published in the influential medical journal, The Lancet, and its findings were trumpeted globally by anti-vaccine activists and some high-profile media commentators.

Since then, many parents worldwide, Including in Ireland and the UK, have chosen not to have their children vaccinated with the triple vaccine. This is despite the fact that a number of studies since 1998 have found no such link with autism. Furthermore in early 2004, the editor of The Lancet, Dr Richard Horton, said that Dr Wakefield's study should never have been published as it was ‘flawed'.

In 2010, Dr Wakefield was struck off the medical register in the UK after its General Medical Council found him guilty of serious professional misconduct over the way in which he carried out the research.

Dr Wakefield was accused of carrying out, as part of his research, invasive tests on vulnerable children which were against their best interests. The GMC said he did not have the ethical approval or relevant qualifications for such tests.

The MMR vaccine is given twice - at 12 months of age and again at four-to-five years. It is free of charge. The latest figures from the HPSC show that uptake in Ireland for the first vaccine is around 92%, while uptake at four-to five years of age is around 84%. In the early-to-mid 2000s, uptake rates fell as low as 80% here.

"If you are travelling to Europe you should go to your GP now for MMR vaccination if you have a preschool or primary school child who never had the MMR vaccine, you have a primary school child who missed out on the second dose of MMR vaccine or you're not sure whether your child has had the full course of two doses," the HPSC explained.

Meanwhile, young adults travelling to Europe where there are measles outbreaks should go to their GP if they have not had, or are not sure if they have had, two doses of the MMR vaccine.

The HPSC noted that it has had a number of enquiries from both parents and GPs in relation to administering the vaccine to children under 12 months of age if they are travelling to affected areas.

"There is no change to the recommendations from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) - MMR vaccine is recommended at 12 months and four-to-five years of age.

"MMR vaccine can be given to children as young as six months of age during outbreak situations, although vaccine effectiveness is usually less at this age than when given after 12 months of age," the HPSC explained.

It added that parents who wish to lessen the risk of measles in their children who are aged between six and 12 months and who may be exposed to the disease can avail of the vaccine.

"If they do so, the vaccine is provided free via the HSE National Cold Chain Service, but parents should pay for the vaccine administration (i.e. the GP fee). This dose would not be counted as a valid dose from the point of the vaccination programme and should be repeated at 12 months of age, at least one month after the first vaccine, with a further dose at four-to-five years of age," it said.

The HPSC added that the vaccine can take up to four weeks to become effective.

For more information on Irishhealth.com's Child Immunisation Tracker, click here