Following a global spike in measles cases and a shocking UK drop in childhood vaccination to just 85.5 per cent, a London-based GP has spoken out to warn the public to be vigilant for the five symptoms of a "serious" infection.
The MMR jab, which protects children against measles, mumps and rubella, has been in use for five decades but has seen a recent fall in uptake with the rise of vaccine scepticism. The first vaccination is usually given to one-year-old infants, with the second administered at three years and four months.
This low rate of vaccination means that the UK will begin to lose "herd immunity" against the dangerous childhood disease, a problem Dr Stuart Sanders of The London General Practice says started decades ago, but was accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Speaking to the Express, he explained: "This is caused by the fall in the uptake of measles vaccination which started in the 1970s due to the spread of misinformation about the vaccine.
"Vaccination uptake further fell as a consequence of a fraudulent paper written by Professor Andrew Wakefield, published in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet; the article was subsequently withdrawn but it caused immense damage to confidence in measles vaccination."
Consequently, "the level of vaccination uptake fell below the critical level required to provide herd immunity; in some countries, it has remained at a suboptimal level.
"I have been a doctor long enough to remember pre-vaccination measles being an illness which in some cases led to prolonged ill health, with a number of children sadly dying."
Earlier this month, the World Health Organisation warned that around 73 million people across the world who could get the MMR vaccine haven’t had it.
They said: "That’s meant that this year, in the first few months, there have been 17,000 cases of measles globally, whereas in the first two months of the previous years, it’s usually been lower – 10,000 or less.
"So yes, we’ve got a global measles epidemic, and that worries us because measles can be a very dangerous disease."
What are measles' five 'serious' symptoms?
Dr Sanders cautions that, if you spot any of these five serious symptoms, you should isolate the patient from others until their symptoms fade.
There are no cures for measles, you can only treat the symptoms. As such, ensure that the patient drinks plenty of fluids and takes paracetamol at the proper intervals.
Serious signs of measles in children are:
- Deterioration in their clinical condition
- Persistent or prolonged fever
- Rejection of food or water which may lead to dehydration
- Severe respiratory symptoms with a fall in blood oxygen saturation
- Signs of meningitis: headache, neck stiffness, vomiting, dislike of bright light (photophobia) etc.
General signs of measles in children include:
- A raised temperature which may occur before the rash appears.
- Cough
- Sore throat
- A flat red rash starting on the face and chest progressing to the rest of the body. The spots are usually discrete but can run together
- Small white spots occurring inside the mouth, usually inside the cheeks or on the palate.
Call a doctor if there are any of the concerning signs outlined above. This is more appropriate than going to the local A & E to protect other ill and vulnerable patients.
