Measles peak 'four weeks away'

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 12 April 2013 | 16.50

12 April 2013 Last updated at 03:54 ET

The measles epidemic centred on Swansea is not expected to peak for another four weeks, says a leading local GP.

The number of cases has risen to 693, with health officials warning that too few children aged 10 to 17 are coming forward for MMR jabs.

Dr Ian Millington, secretary of Morgannwg local medical committee, said he would be disappointed if in a month there was not a slowdown.

Officials have also raised concerns about the number of cases in Powys.

Many schools in the Swansea area reopen again next week after the Easter holidays and Friday is seen as the last opportunity for children to receive the MMR (measles mumps rubella) jab.

Continue reading the main story

Slowing down won't be seen for another two to three weeks because of the incubation period of measles"

End Quote Dr Ian Millington Swansea GP

More drop-in clinics are taking place this weekend and Public Health Wales (PHW) is continuing to urge parents of unvaccinated children to act immediately.

Meanwhile, the head of the vaccination programme for PHW told BBC Wales of worries about the growing number of cases in the old county of Montgomeryshire, where 50 have been reported recently in Welshpool.

Dr Millington said the epidemic was causing genuine concern and it could be a few weeks before cases started to reduce.

"Slowing down won't be seen for another two to three weeks because of the incubation period of measles," Dr Millington told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales.

"I think we would be disappointed if in four weeks we're not seeing some slowdown."

He said the immunisation programme would continue when schools reopened after Easter.

'Extremely concerned'

He said children would be mixing "from family and friends to a much wider group of children" on Monday.

"That's really why the immunisation is being concentrated on this week and the very beginning of next week," he said.

"There will be an immunisation programme in schools starting next week in four of the biggest comprehensives which are most at risk.

"Just under 2,000 pupils could be immunised in that setting but to deliver an immunisation programme as complex as the whole programme for Wales is not possible in school."

It was reported on Thursday that measles cases had risen by 73 to 693 in the Swansea area.

"We remain extremely concerned this outbreak is showing no signs of going away," Dr Marion Lyons of PHW said on Thursday.

More than 1,700 people received MMR jabs at special drop-in clinics in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend last weekend. Another 900 were vaccinated in the Swansea area last week.

At least 6,000 children have still not had the MMR vaccine in the Swansea area.


Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Measles peak 'four weeks away'

Dengan url

https://gayabugarsehat.blogspot.com/2013/04/measles-peak-four-weeks-away.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Measles peak 'four weeks away'

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Measles peak 'four weeks away'

sebagai sumbernya

0 komentar:

Posting Komentar

techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger