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Measles 'could hit tens of thousands'
Ellen Widdup01.07.08
London is on the brink of a measles epidemic that could infect tens of thousands of people, a public health chief claims.
The virus, which is potentially lethal to children, has hit hundreds in the capital in recent months, 500 of whom live in Lewisham.
Simon Tanner, regional director of Public Health London, blamed a failure by parents to give their children the triple measles, mumps and rubella jab.
He told the London Assembly's health and public services committee: "Right now measles presents the most severe risk of any contagious illness.
"Some people consider it to be a trivial illness. It is not. One in four people end up in hospital and the recent outbreaks in London have affected all ages - adults and children.
"This is chiefly due to a failure in immunisation programmes in the capital."
The current take-up rate of MMR jabs at the age of two is 70 per cent, down from 90 per cent in 1996.
There was a public backlash against the vaccine after a 1998 research paper, which has since been discredited, linked it to autism.
Mr Tanner said: "We have some PCTs with rates of 80 per cent and some in the 50s, such as Lewisham at 52 per cent. It is no surprise that about 500 people there were affected by an outbreak earlier this year."
He added: "We could be looking at an outbreak affecting numbers in five figures."
The Health Protection Agency has signed an EU agreement to eradicate measles by 2010. But Mr Tanner said this would be difficult unless it could better spread the message about the safety and importance of the MMR vaccination.
He said more work was needed to give people confidence in the immunisation programme.
"This is safe, effective and prevents an outbreak of a very serious illness."
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Reader views (8)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
Not all children are suitable for the MMR, or single
measles vaccine.
If the child has allergies and a strong family medical
history of autoimmune disease they are at more risk of
vaccine damage from live virus vaccines.
Irish Vaccine Informed Parents
- Mairead Hilliard, Dublin Ireland
Dr. Bernadine Healy, former Director of the US National Institute of Health, argues for more research into a possible vaccine autism.
Why is this not in all the newspapers in the UK.
Are you telling me that this government are not only going to ignore the parents but also the experts who have concerns.
Are you ready to place your child into a lottery?
I did and they are both damaged. Who is responsible for them now? Who has a duty of care for the children in this country? I am told the Department of Health don't and never have.
- Isabella Thomas, Somerset
Single jabs would not force parents to play Russian Roulette with cocktails of vaccines that are lethal. For the sake of herd immunity we succumbed to scaremongering and our perfect precious baby had the MMR vaccine.
The high-pitched scream persisted as the urabe Mumps strain shot his brain to pieces and he lost all senses as a result, this remains as vivid as the green gunge he discharged and the projectile vomiting that occurred in the instant destruction of his gut from the live Measles virus that poisoned his system from within, not forgetting how the Rubella virus attacked his joints and limbs before he lapsed into unconsciousness and was given the last rites.
Against all odds he came through but brain damaged, so suffers a life sentence of a living dead existence and all for the greater good, of whom I wonder? Certainly not for the 1 in 100 that now suffer to a greater or lesser extent.
We contracted measles, mumps and rubella naturally in the 1950/60’s and with only the most basic of care available at home, made a full recovery along with all our friends who attended the infected parties arranged in our honour. The only lasting memory of the ‘killer’ measles was cotton wool in our ears and wearing sunglasses, a small price to pay for life-long immunity.
Complications, brain damage or even death by catching these viruses naturally, would have been far easier to cope with, then knowing we allowed our baby to be destroyed in this most barbaric and inhumane way
- Elayne, Kent, UK
