An adult diagnosed with measles has died in hospital in Ireland’s first confirmed case of measles this year, the Health Executive (HSE) has announced.
An adult diagnosed with measles has tragically died in an Irish hospital, marking the first confirmed case of measles in Ireland this year, according to the Health Executive (HSE).
The patient died in hospital in the Dublin Midlands Health Region, following Health Minister Stephen Donnelly’s warning that Ireland was at high risk of a measles outbreak. Measles cases have recently surged across Europe, with several deaths reported in Romania.
More than 170 measles cases were confirmed in England’s West Midlands between December 2023 and mid-January 2024, but cases have been reported in every region of England. In Ireland, four measles cases were reported in 2023 and two in 2022. According to the HSE, no cases were reported in 2021, while five measles cases were recorded in 2020, with no deaths reported during that time.
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The HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Center was informed of the death. “The HSE Public Health Team, together with the HSE Measles National Incident Management Team (IMT), are taking all necessary public health measures in relation to this incident,” the HSE said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The HSE Measles IMT was established in response to the recent increase in measles cases in the UK and Europe.” advised to contact. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious health complications. In addition to the rash, the virus can spread throughout the body and cause serious problems.
Symptoms usually appear 7 to 14 days after infection, including a high fever, cough, runny or stuffy nose, and bloodshot, watery eyes. The rash usually appears after a few days. Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer Breda Smith expressed concern about the risk of a measles outbreak due to low vaccination rates. A vaccination rate of 95% is required to prevent the spread of the virus, but Ireland’s current vaccination rate is 89.2%. In some areas, the rate is below 80%.
Health Minister Donnelly informed Cabinet on Tuesday of the potential risk of a measles outbreak. He highlighted that around one in five young people aged 19 to 21 in Ireland have not been vaccinated against the virus. Misinformation in the past is believed to have influenced the number of children receiving the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
To address this, an MMR catch-up program was launched through GPs in November 2023. The initiative will encourage unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people to get vaccinated. The vaccine is available free of charge from your GP for children aged 10 and under.