Measles immunisation urged
Measles immunisation urged
Parents in the southern counties of the country are being urged to ensure their children are properly protected against measles.The Health Service Executive (HSE) South's Public Health Department is urging parents to take action for the protection of their offspring following outbreaks of measles in Cork and Kerry.
Consultant in public health medicine at HSE South Dr Fiona Ryan said: "The most important part of controlling an outbreak of measles is to ensure that there is a high level of immunity in the population."
She added that measles can be prevented through immunisation programmes, as part of the MMR vaccination scheme.
The disease is highly infectious and can cause severe illness, Dr Ryan added, noting that it is important parents make sure their children have received the recommended two doses of the MMR vaccine to protect against the disease.
There was an increase in the number of measles cases in Ireland in 2009 - 165 people were infected, up from 55 in 2008.
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