Measles: New Term Could See Increase In Cases

Doctors fear the start of a new school term in Swansea could lead to a sharp rise in new measles cases.

Around 700 people have so far contracted the disease since last November. And the return to school is likely to allow the highly infectious virus to spread rapidly between unvaccinated children.

Four comprehensives in the city and one in Neath Port Talbot will hold vaccination sessions for pupils, starting on Wednesday.

Parents of children who have not had the two doses of MMR vaccine have been sent letters asking for their consent for the jab.

At Bishop Gore Comprehensive School 488 children are thought to be at risk.

Headteacher Ryan Davies told Sky News: "There is a sense of urgency here. It is quite onerous for us, but at the end of the day we are only too willing to help.

"We need our pupils protected, especially at this time of year when a lot of them are preparing for their final examinations."

Swansea has had one of the lowest uptakes of MMR vaccine in the country, with parents shunning the jab in the wake of discredited research linking it to autism. Most of the unprotected children are now aged 10 to 14.

Fears are growing that the outbreak could spread.

Public Health Wales estimates that 40,000 children in the country have not had any doses of MMR. A further 30,000 have only had the first dose.

Parts of England also have large numbers of unvaccinated children and there are on-going measles outbreaks in Merseyside, Teesside and Gloucestershire.

Dr David Elliman of Great Ormond Street Hospital urged parents to have their children vaccinated - wherever they are, because of the risks of the disease.

He said: "England has lower levels of MMR uptake than Wales. And in London there are substantial pockets of low uptake. You have lots of people unimmunised in schools and nurseries, so it is a very real danger."

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