Catch-up measles vaccinations 'really critical' - WHO

Vaccinating children who missed their measles shots during the Covid-19 pandemic is critical, a senior World Health Organization official has said, as outbreaks of the infectious disease increase worldwide.

More than 50 countries have experienced "large and disruptive" measles outbreaks in the last year, twice as many as in 2022, said Kate O'Brien, WHO director of immunisation, at a virtual press conference.

Covid-19 massively disrupted routine vaccination efforts worldwide, and around 60 million children missed their doses over that period, Ms O'Brien said.

She said catch-up efforts were "really critical".

"It's now a race between whether the catch-up activities can happen quickly enough or whether the outbreaks will continue to scale," she said.

Yesterday, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also urged people to get vaccinated against measles amid rising cases globally.

In Ireland, the Health Service Executive has launched its measles vaccination catch-up campaign to protect against the disease due to a rise in cases in the UK and Europe.

It will mainly be aimed at groups who may have missed the vaccine in the past such as children, young adults and health and care workers.

The MMR vaccine will be available for free from GPs and HSE vaccination clinics, listed on its website.

Measles is a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications, especially in children aged under one year, pregnant women and those who are immunosuppressed.

So far this year, there have been five confirmed cases, and the death of a man in early February, from the disease.

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Consultant in Public Health Medicine Dr Lucy Jessop of the HSE's National Immunisation Office has said that if people are unsure whether they have had the vaccine, they can check with their GP.

People born before 1978 are considered likely to have immunity to measles.

The campaign will also be aimed at students and underserved populations such as travellers, the homeless, refugees and those in custodial settings.

It is estimated that around 11% of the population aged 18-34 are not immune to measles.

Two doses of the MMR vaccine are needed to be considered fully vaccinated.

The first symptoms of measles are cold-like symptoms, aches and pains and about three to five days later a rash appears.

A consultant in Public Health Medicine has said that the campaign is targeting at risk groups including unvaccinated children and young adults under the age of 18.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Dr Lois O'Connor said anyone who is unsure if they are vaccinated can contact their HSE local health offices where vaccination records are kept there.

If you are still unsure, there is no harm in getting another vaccine, Dr O'Connor added.

Dr O'Connor said parents with children under the age of 18 can make vaccine appointments with their GPs.

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Other groups can attend new HSE vaccination clinics, she said, and these appointments can be booked online.

She said that toddlers do not need to get an early dose (before the age of five) if they have already received one shot.

Dr O'Connor said the vast majority of people born in Ireland before 1978 are immune to the disease.

However, she admitted that there will be a small number of people in that group who have never been exposed to the disease but repeated that anyone who is concerned can get a third vaccine.

Shingles vaccine at current price not good use of HSE resources - HIQA

The Health Information and Quality Authority has said that at the current vaccine price, adding shingles vaccination to the routine immunisation schedule for the general population aged 50 years and older would not be a good use of HSE resources.

This follows a Health Technology Assessment conducted at the request of the Department of Health.

HIQA has now launched a public consultation on its draft position.

Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox and it causes a painful, blister-like rash.

While some people experience severe disease or continue to experience pain for months or even years, for most people symptoms normally clear up within a month.

While shingles vaccines are available in Ireland, the HSE does not currently provide free vaccination and people must pay to be vaccinated.

The incidence and severity of shingles increases with age, with most cases occurring in people over the age of 50 years.

For the purposes of the HIQA assessment, a cost of €151 excluding VAT was assumed per vaccine dose.

With 50% coverage over five years, the estimated costs ranged from €15 million to €76m.

HIQA's Chief Scientist Dr Conor Teljeur said its assessment found that the shingles vaccine is safe and effective, but the benefit of the vaccine decreases over time.

"However, at the current vaccine price, adding shingles vaccination to the routine immunisation schedule for the general population aged 50 years and older would not be a good use of HSE resources," he added.

The final assessment will provide advice to the Minister for Health to inform a decision on whether to include shingles vaccination in the adult immunisation schedule in Ireland.