The worst measles outbreak in Wales in years has seen at least 374 cases in the Neath-Port Talbot, Swansea and Bridgend areas. This could result in long term problems: the National Public Health Service (NPHS) for Wales says the outbreak "could continue for some time" without more children having the MMR vaccine.
Nearly a thousand extra children have been given both doses of the vaccine as the result of a drive, and a further three and half thousand have been given the first jab, but nearly eleven thousand are at risk. Parents have been reluctant to allow their children to receive the MMR vaccine because of bad publicity surrounding the jab.
Dr Mac Walapu chairs the team tackling the outbreak in Swansea, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot area: He said: "It's good news that 4,619 parents have been encouraged to protect their children with the MMR vaccination since we started our campaign to increase uptake and that almost 1,000 children who were previously vulnerable are now fully vaccinated.
"However, unfortunately we still have thousands of unprotected children who have not benefited from the routine childhood immunisation programme.
"We continue to see new measles cases not only in this area but across Wales, with a new outbreak just declared in Merthyr Tydfil.
"With so many children still unprotected, the outbreak could continue for some time and can only be halted by an increase in MMR uptake."
The NPHS said children should receive their first dose of the MMR vaccine at 13 months of age and the second at around three years and four months of age. Letters had been sent to every household in the area which has children who have not had the vaccine, said the NPHS.
Dr Annie Delahunty, Neath Port Talbot's public health director, said: "Remember, if you say no to the vaccine, you are saying yes to measles, as well as mumps and rubella.
Written on Friday, 07 August 2009 07:56 by Richard Winters
