Concern in United Kingdom given the increase in measles cases and the probability of new outbreaks of the disease. According to the latest data handled by the UK Health Security Agency (Ukhsa) in 2023 there were 1,603 suspected cases of measles, more than double than in 2022 (735) and four times more than in 2021 (360). The HBirmingham Children’s Hospital (UK) is currently facing a major outbreak. More than 50 children have been hospitalized in the last month, the highest number recorded in years. Among children under five, the infection appears to be spreading more rapidly, and 40% of those who test positive require hospital care.
Health authorities relate this exponential increase in cases to low vaccination rates. UK Health officials have warned in recent hours about new shoots of measles in England after cases in the region of West Midlands will increase more than 30 percent in less than a week, according to the BBC. The region has seen the largest increase in cases outside London, with more than 300 suspected infections reported between October 23 of last year and Monday.
The doctor Ronny Cheung, children’s consultant, warns in statements to the BBC that the infection “will at best cause children great discomfort and, at worst, death.”
Official figures show that measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination nationwide is at its lowest point in more than a decade. According to him National Health Service England, In December 2022 the MMR vaccination rate (against measles, mumps and rubella) in the Birmingham region was around 83 percent. To optimally protect the population, a rate of at least 95 percent is essential.
UK Health Security Agency data published on Monday shows there were 198 lab-confirmed cases in the West Midlands and 104 “probable” cases. The majority (80 per cent) were located in Birmingham, while 8 per cent were identified in Coventry, with the remainder spread across surrounding areas. Health authorities recommend unvaccinated children who come into contact with the disease stay home for 21 days.
The doctor Cheunghealth services officer of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), has said: «[Necesitamos] “Reassuring people about the benefits and reminding them of the potential risks of measles, which I think a lot of people have forgotten.” When asked if the country would see more outbreaks outside the West Midlands, he admits: “I fear we will almost certainly see them, partly because we know that vaccination rates are very low and not evenly distributed,” the BBC reports. .
«There are areas where vaccination rates are much lower than others, usually in urban conurbations. Additionally, measles is incredibly contagious, so if there are areas where many people are not immunized, it only takes a few cases to cause a fairly significant outbreak. So, unfortunately, this is something that is going to happen,” he says.
Helen Bedfordprofessor of child health at the Institute of Child Health Great Ormond Street from UCL, urges people to get vaccinated. “About one in 1,000 people with measles develop inflammation of the brain and even in high-income countries like the UK, around one in 5,000 die from the infection,” she says.
“There is no upper age limit for vaccination, so if you or your loved ones have not received it, now is the time to get that protection. “We can stop this infection with vaccination,” she says. The main symptoms of measles include high fever, sore and watery red eyes, coughing, sneezing, and a rash that usually appears after the initial symptoms. “In a typical winter we wouldn’t see any cases of measles,” the doctor noted. Neil Buggdeputy medical director at Birmingham Women and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, told the BBC.
2024-01-17 14:41:00
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