Fears measles outbreak will ‘spread like wildfire' after child dies and doctors warn all parents to be vigilant

The Sun

2 days ago

FEARS of measles spreading like wildfire are growing after a child infected with the virus died amid plunging vaccine rates.
The youngster was a patient at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital, which has seen 17 cases in the past few weeks.
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Infections are increasing across the country, as low MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination rates leave children vulnerable.
Doctors are urging parents to get their kids jabbed, as the risk of infection rises with increased travel and social mixing over the summer holiday.
Major outbreaks in Birmingham and London contributed to 2,911 measles cases in England last year, the highest number since 2012.
The child who died, whose name and gender were not revealed, was thought to have had other serious health problems.
It was not clear whether they were vaccinated.
So far this year there have been 529 confirmed cases in England, with 109 in the month to July 3.
Professor Matt Ashton, Liverpool's director of public health, said: "I'm extremely worried the potential is there for measles to really grab hold in our community.
"My concern is the unprotected population and it spreading like wildfire. It's really important people understand the seriousness of this."
The UK's MMR two-dose vaccination rate has slumped to its lowest levels for ten years 84 per cent, which is well below the 95 per cent needed for herd immunity.
Reported measles cases in the US have also reached a 33-year high, this year with three dead, including two unvaccinated healthy children.
Powerful new video urges all parents to protect their children from surge of deadly Victorian disease as millions 'at risk'
Most cases improve within a week, but measles can cause serious complications.
This includes pneumonia, seizures, meningitis, encephalitis and blindness if it spreads to the lungs.
In rare cases, it can lead to subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a fatal brain disorder, which develops years - sometimes decades - after infection.
The UK was granted it's 'measles-free' status with the World Health Organisation in 2016, but lost it in 2019 after a surge in cases.
Prof Helen Bedford, of University College London, said: "During the summer holidays people are on the move. Unprotected children are at risk travelling within the country or more widely."
Meanwhile, Professor Ian Jones, an expert in virology at the University of Reading, added: "If measles is circulating in the community because of low vaccination rates, sooner or later it will find its way to kids who are already unwell, where the infection can be catastrophic.
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"While deaths from measles in the developed world are rare, the risk can be entirely discharged by vaccination and the lead Alder Hey have taken to vaccinate kids entering A&E is admirable.
"But the community message is the one to reiterate.
"Get your kids vaccinated, both for your own kids' sake and to prevent the virus reaching those who are more vulnerable."
In Liverpool, only 73 per cent of children aged five have received the necessary two shots, while in parts of London uptake is below 65 per cent.
By contrast, almost all children have received both doses of the MMR vaccine by the age of five in Rutland (97.6 per cent) and Northumberland (95 per cent), the latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows.
According to The Sunday Times, the death of a child in Liverpool is to the second fatality from an acute measles infection over the last decade in the UK.
Last week, public health officials wrote an open letter to parents in the region, urging them to get their children vaccinated.
Expert answers MMR questions
TO help deal with parental concerns, Professor Helen Bedford, a specialist in child public health at University College London, tells you all you need to know about the MMR vaccine.
When is the vaccine given?
The MMR vaccine is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation ­Programme.
It's typically given via a single shot into the muscle of the thigh or the upper arm.
The first dose is offered to children at the age of one (babies younger than this may have some protection from antibodies passed on from their mother, which start to wear off at about 12 months.)
The second dose is then offered to children aged three years and four months before they start school.
To check to see if you or your child have had the recommended two doses of MMR, you can look at their/your Personal Child Health Record, also known as the red book.
If you can't find the red book, call your GP and ask them for your vaccine records.
You are never too old to catch up with your MMR vaccine.
If you see from your vaccination records that you did not receive two doses as a child, you can book a vaccination appointment.
Is the vaccine safe?
The MMR vaccine is safe and effective at preventing measles, mumps and rubella.
In the UK, we started using the jab in 1988, so we have decades of ­experience using it.
The jab is made from much-weakened live versions of the three viruses.
This triggers the immune system to produce antibodies that are protective in the face of future exposure.
It takes up to three weeks after having the ­vaccine to be fully protected.
Like any vaccine, the MMR jab can cause side-effects, which are usually mild and go away very quickly.
This includes rash, high temperature, loss of appetite and a general feeling of being unwell for about two or three days.
There is also a very small chance children can have a severe allergic reaction.
But compared to the complications of measles, there is no contest that vaccination is by far the safest and most effective route to take.
Why was it linked with autism?
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published a now-discredited paper in medical journal The Lancet.
The paper suggested that the MMR vaccine might be associated with autism and a form of bowel disease.
It led to a sharp decline in vaccination rates.
Even at the time, the research was considered poor.
The Lancet retracted the story in 2010 after ­Wakefield's article was found 'dishonest' by the General Medical Council.
He was later struck off and subsequently, in 2011, the British Medical Journal declared the story fraudulent.
Does it contain ingredients from pigs?
There are two types of MMR jabs: One with gelatin (animal/pig collagen), and one without it.
For some religious groups, the inclusion of pig products is not ­acceptable.
Those people should ask for the vaccine without gelatin.