Jab clinics after measles man dies

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 20 April 2013 | 19.12

20 April 2013 Last updated at 07:05 ET

Drop-in MMR clinics are being held at four hospitals in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, as the death of man linked to the measles outbreak is investigated.

Gareth Williams, 25, died at his home in Swansea on Thursday.

Tests by Public Health Wales have confirmed that he had measles at the time of his death.

The number of reported measles cases in Wales now stands at 808.

It is the third weekend in a row that vaccination clinics have been held, in a bid to stem the epidemic.

Pupils at five schools have also been offered MMR jabs, with a further 10 schools being visited by vaccination teams in the coming week.

The appeal by PHW for parents to make sure their children are vaccinated against measles has taken an increasingly urgent tone, following the death of Mr Williams at his home in Port Tennant Road in Swansea.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News


Between one in 1,000 and one in 3,000 people infected with measles will die.

Globally it is one of the leading causes of death in children.

Like many childhood diseases, it is worse when adults are infected as the risks of complications are higher.

Two doses of the MMR vaccine give near total protection against the disease.

But confidence in the vaccine dived after, now discredited, claims of a link with autism by Andrew Wakefield a decade ago.

Experts believe the MMR scare has left more than a million school children vulnerable to the infection.

Many people now have no recollection of measles epidemics in the UK.

Health officials say the man who died in Swansea had been infected with measles although more tests are needed to confirm a cause of death.

But it still acts as a warning of how rampant and deadly the disease can be.

Tests on Friday confirmed that Mr Williams did have the disease when he died, though further investigations are under way to establish if the illness is linked to the death.

"Whatever the cause of death in this case we should not be surprised if, as the outbreak grows, we start to see deaths in Wales," said Dr Marion Lyons, PHW's director of health protection.

'At-risk' age groups

"Those not fully vaccinated with two doses of MMR are highly likely to catch measles, which is highly contagious.

"We know that there are unprotected people in all age groups but we have particular concerns about the 10 to 18 age group.

"We are therefore urging all parents of children who have missed doses of MMR to arrange vaccination for them as a matter of urgency."

Since the outbreak began in November, 77 people have needed hospital treatment for the illness.

New vaccination clinics are being held on Saturday at Morriston and Singleton Hospitals in Swansea, the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot Hospital.

Meanwhile, Aneurin Bevan Health Board said more than 600 vaccinations were carried out at three hospitals in Newport, Abergavenny and Ystrad Mynach in the first hour of special clinics.

The health board has reported 36 measles cases so far this month, mostly in the Caerphilly and Newport areas.

Last weekend around 2,500 people received the MMR vaccination at special clinics in south Wales.

Vaccine

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Further vaccination sessions are being held in the Swansea area

But PHW has also urged parents of children across Wales to ensure they have been vaccinated, warning that there are cases of measles in every single health board area.

The call has been backed by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board covering north Wales, who warned that the outbreak in south West Wales "is likely to spread to other areas".

It follows an outbreak that affected 60 people in the Porthmadog area in 2012.

"The likelihood that unvaccinated children across the country will come into contact with those already infected is high," said Siobhan Jones, a consultant in public health at the Betsi Cadwaladr board.

"It is vital that parents act now to ensure that their children are fully immunised with the MMR vaccine."

Measles cases in mid and west Wales

Health board/area Nov 2012 Dec Jan 2013 Feb Mar Apr* Total

Notifications 1 Nov 2012 to *12:00 BST 17 April 2013 ** Abertawe Bro Morgannwg figures are the combined totals for Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea Source: Public Health Wales

Bridgend

0

1

1

1

12

15

30

Neath Port Talbot

5

9

4

6

43

85

152

Swansea

10

27

34

59

183

151

464

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg HB total**

15

37

39

66

238

251

646

Hywel Dda HB

17

24

8

9

14

18

90

Powys HB

2

0

3

0

36

31

72

Total

34

61

50

75

288

300

808


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