Boris: too little, too late on measles

THE UK HAS lost its “virus free” status on measles, after 231 cases were recorded in the first three months of 2019. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has noticed and promised to take steps to protect the population from this serious disease.

PM Johnson: wishful thinking on eradicating measles

Unfortunately, the steps being taken do not seem to be enough to make significant change to the situation and return the UK to the virus-free status it had held for three years.

The most efficient way of preventing measles is to vaccinate children. In Britain, all children are offered the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccince at age one and age five: children who receive both doses have very good protection. Sadly, in the 1990s misinformation was spread about the MMR vaccination, with some professionals claiming the it caused autism – although there was no evidence that this was the case.

Vaccination rates began to fall, leaving lots of vulnerable children who can catch measles when they go overseas and bring it back to the UK, where they infect their non-vaccinated friends.

These are the measures the Prime Minister is planning to take.

•GPs are going to be asked to promote the vaccine to children who have not had their second, booster, dose – or not had any doses.
These children may be very difficult to find: no extra money will be made available to identify these children and talk to their parents about coming in to the surgery for vaccination.

•Social media companies are being asked to remove any online content which spreads the myth that the vaccine is dangerous.
No incentive is being offered to the companies to do this and it is unlikely that they will be able to remove content as fast as it pops up. In any event, the myths about the vaccine are not only spread online but also by word of mouth among parents.

•Social media companies will be invited to a “summit” with government where they can all discuss what they can do to promote the pro-vaccine message.
Let’s hope some positive suggestions emerge from what might otherwise be seen as a junket.

•The Government will also use the NHS website to counter misleading claims about the vaccine.
It is not clear how many parents browse the NHS website.

Measles is a dangerous disease. It can cause lung infections (pneumonia) or a brain infection (encephalitis) and these secondary infections can be fatal.

•If your children have missed out on the measles vaccine or if adults in your household have not been vaccinated, contact your GP surgery, where staff will be pleased to give you more information and arrange a catch-up vaccine.

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