Urgent holiday warning for Irish tourists as measles outbreak hits top travel spots

Dublin Live

5 days ago

As the summer holiday season approaches, the HSE has issued a critical warning to Irish travellers due to a concerning rise in measles outbreaks across numerous popular tourist destinations.
Cases have been reported not only in various European countries but also in North America and parts of Asia, leading the HSE to express its worry about potential measles outbreaks in Ireland this summer. Measles, one of the most highly infectious diseases, continues to "spread rapidly among individuals who are unvaccinated". Several countries experiencing significant outbreaks include many top holiday destinations, prompting Ireland's health officials to encourage travellers to ensure their vaccinations are up to date before travelling abroad.
The HSE strongly recommends all travellers, particularly families with young children, to verify their vaccination status and receive the MMR vaccine if necessary. A spokesperson stated: "The best way to protect you and your family against measles is to ensure all family members are up to date with the recommended doses of MMR vaccine before travelling abroad.
"MMR vaccine is available free of charge at your GP for individuals born on or after January 1st 1978 who are not age-appropriately vaccinated. In addition, infants aged 6 months to under 12 months are eligible to receive an MMR vaccine, free of charge at their GP, prior to travel abroad. It is recommended that individuals receive MMR vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel."
"HSE recommends that all people who are eligible for MMR vaccination should be vaccinated, regardless of whether planning on travel abroad or not." This warning is issued in response to "large outbreaks" of measles reported across Europe. The most recent measles report from the ECDC indicates that the highest number of cases were recorded in France, Spain, Romania, Netherlands and Belgium, reports the Irish Mirror.
Significant numbers of cases have also been reported in the USA, Canada and some Asian countries - including Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. The HSE explains that measles begins with cold-like symptoms around 10 days after infection.
A measles rash appears a few days later. This rash emerges around two to four days following the onset of your first symptoms and fades after about a week.
It typically starts on your head or neck before spreading to the rest of your body. The rash can be flat or slightly raised, merging into large blotchy patches. On white skin, it appears brown or red.
It may be less visible on brown and black skin. The rash may cause slight itching for some individuals.
You will feel most unwell on the first or second day after the rash appears. Some individuals may also develop small grey-white spots in their mouth. However, not everyone with measles will have these spots.
These spots usually appear before the measles rash. If you have these spots along with other symptoms or a rash, it's highly likely you have measles.
These spots usually last for a few days. Measles is highly contagious, spreading through coughs and sneezes from someone who's infected.
To help prevent its spread, the HSE advises: "Tell your child's school or childcare if your child has measles. Children in your child's group or class may need to get the MMR vaccine. Do not go to work, school or childcare until at least four days after you first got the measles rash. Avoid contact with young children, pregnant women and people who have a weak immune system."
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