PARENTS are being urged to get their kids vaccinated against measles before heading abroad following outbreaks across Europe.
The plea comes as new figures show there were 1,293 confirmed cases of the highly infectious disease in 17 countries in April alone.
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“If you have plans to go to Europe this summer, don’t spoil your holiday by running the risk of an attack of measles which might result in hospitalisation,” Professor Helen Bedford, from University College London, told The Sun.
“Cases are rising in popular holiday destinations such as Spain.
“Measles is incredibly infectious and can also be very serious, particularly in young children and in adults.
“The only way to protect yourself and your children against measles is by vaccination.”
Which countries are worst affected?
Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDP) shows that while measles cases in April were lower than the 1,671 reported in March, they had increased by over 1,000 per cent when compared to this time last year.
In April, Romania, Poland and Belgium reported the largest number of cases with 957, 84 and 96 respectively.
Belgium was next with 76 incidences, followed by France with 71 and Austria with 43.
The Netherlands was behind with 12 cases, Ireland nine, Spain eight and Portugal seven.
Sweden, Lithuania and Cyprus all reported five infections.
Denmark and Greece both reported three cases.
Croatia and Hungry reported two infections and Estonia recorded just one.
The remaining countries reported no cases, or no data, in April.
There have been 10,887 cases of measles across the continent during the last 12 months, according to the ECDP. Seven people have died.
The majority (87 per cent) of those who tested positive were unvaccinated.
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Prof Bedford urged anyone who may have missed out to get their catch-up doses
“There is still time to have the two doses of MMR needed for best protection,” she said.
“There is no upper age limit to have this vaccine.”
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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued similar warnings earlier this month after revealing there had been a rise in measles cases compared to previous years.
It cautioned Brits that jabs should be up to date before summer holidays and the festival season.
There have already been 67 cases between January and April this year, which is more than the 56 seen in the whole of 2022.
“Most of the cases have been in London, although there have been cases picked up across the country and some are linked to travel abroad,” the UKHSA wrote
And vaccinations for the deadly disease are at a 12-year low, official figures reveal.
Only 84 per cent of kids have had both MMR (measles, mumps and ruebella) vaccine doses by age five; this figure needs to be above 90 per cent to stop outbreaks.
A staggering 3.4million under-16s in Britain are at risk of catching the virus as they have only had one or neither MMR jab.
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.