'BE VIGILANT'
Urgent measles warning to Ryanair passengers – check if you’re at risk
Some passengers have been warned to visit their GP to check if they need to be vaccinated
PASSENGERS on a Ryanair flight out of London have been dealt an urgent measles warning amid rising outbreak fears.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) alerted travellers on the Dublin-bound flight they may have been exposed to the contagious infection.
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The plane flew from Gatwick at 8.10pm last Thursday, with those on it now urged to "be vigilant".
In a public statement, HSE said: "We ask you be particularly vigilant for symptoms of measles for 21 days from exposure - until June 7."
Measles infects the body through the respiratory tract, before spreading to cause a fever, cough and trademark rash.
A red blotch first appears on the forehead, before spots rear their ugly heads all over the skin and inside the mouth.
The dreaded infection is considered highly contagious.
But in relieving news, passengers from the flight who received two vaccines, have previously been infected or were born in Ireland after 1978 are believed to be immune.
Those not in that camp have been warned to avoid pregnant women, babies less than a year old and people with compromised immune systems until June 7.
The HSE has implored anyone who develops symptoms to seek medical advice.
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The statement said: "Phone ahead prior to attending any healthcare setting to let them know that you have these symptoms, so they can make necessary arrangements to prevent potential further spread to others."
The public health unit also urged anyone not vaccinated with two doses of MMR to speak with their GPs about whether they need to be immunised.
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The statement adds: "Children should receive their first dose of MMR vaccine at one year of age and a second dose in junior infants at 4-5 years of age.
"There is also a free catch-up MMR option via participating GPs for those who may have missed their vaccination when younger."
The scare comes with new measles cases surfacing around the country.
As of April, the total number of cases since 1 October 2023 was 1109, according to government data.
Expert answers MMR questions
TO help deal with parental concerns, Professor Helen Bedford, a specialist in child public health at University College London, tells you all you need to know about the MMR vaccine.
When is the vaccine given?
The MMR vaccine is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme.
It’s typically given via a single shot into the muscle of the thigh or the upper arm.
The first dose is offered to children at the age of one (babies younger than this may have some protection from antibodies passed on from their mother, which start to wear off at about 12 months.)
The second dose is then offered to children aged three years and four months before they start school.
To check to see if you or your child have had the recommended two doses of MMR, you can look at their/your Personal Child Health Record, also known as the red book.
If you can’t find the red book, call your GP and ask them for your vaccine records.
You are never too old to catch up with your MMR vaccine.
If you see from your vaccination records that you did not receive two doses as a child, you can book a vaccination appointment.
Is the vaccine safe?
The MMR vaccine is safe and effective at preventing measles, mumps and rubella.
In the UK, we started using the jab in 1988, so we have decades of experience using it.
The jab is made from much-weakened live versions of the three viruses.
This triggers the immune system to produce antibodies that are protective in the face of future exposure.
It takes up to three weeks after having the vaccine to be fully protected.
Like any vaccine, the MMR jab can cause side-effects, which are usually mild and go away very quickly.
This includes rash, high temperature, loss of appetite and a general feeling of being unwell for about two or three days.
There is also a very small chance children can have a severe allergic reaction.
But compared to the complications of measles, there is no contest that vaccination is by far the safest and most effective route to take.
Why was it linked with autism?
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published a now-discredited paper in medical journal The Lancet.
The paper suggested that the MMR vaccine might be associated with autism and a form of bowel disease.
It led to a sharp decline in vaccination rates.
Even at the time, the research was considered poor.
The Lancet retracted the story in 2010 after Wakefield’s article was found “dishonest” by the General Medical Council.
He was later struck off and subsequently, in 2011, the British Medical Journal declared the story fraudulent.
Does it contain ingredients from pigs?
There are two types of MMR jabs: One with gelatin (animal/pig collagen), and one without it.
For some religious groups, the inclusion of pig products is not acceptable.
Those people should ask for the vaccine without gelatin.
A burst in cases towards the end of 2023 was driven by an breakout in Birmingham, with that now stabilising.
The West Midlands has accounted for nearly half of all cases since October.
But now the government is concerned of cases rising in London.
In the four weeks following March 18, 40 per cent of cases were in the nation's capital, with the West Midlands in second at 25 per cent.
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Around 12 per cent of cases were recorded in the East Midlands.
Most (63 per cent) contracting the infection are kids aged under 10.
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