Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the measures that are being taken to address the growing number of cases of measles here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25915/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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My Department, through the office of the Chief Medical Officer, has a function in the management and monitoring of policy implementation in the area of immunisation. Through regular meetings between officials in my Department and the HSE the importance of adherence to the immunisation schedule is stressed. In recent months the priority for these meetings has been to monitor MMR uptake rates and measles outbreak data. The measles outbreak which commenced in Kerry in August 2009 was confined locally at first but subsequently spread to other areas of the country. A national Measles outbreak control team was convened in October 2009 to coordinate and improve control measures.

376 measles cases were notified up to 16 June in 2010 (provisional data). The outbreak is currently on the decline. Since April, on average eight cases per week were reported (range 3 - 12 cases per week) in comparison to 21 cases on average up to the end of March (range 15-54 cases per week). Last week the number of cases notified was down to seven. However, the fact that any measles cases are occurring is always of concern.

Control measures implemented during the course of the outbreak included:

Raising awareness of the outbreak among the communities affected, among GPs and clinicians in hospitals who are caring for these communities or patients using letters, leaflets, posters, radio, newspapers etc. The communications stressed the importance of vaccination, seeking medical attention if needed and advice on how to prevent spreading infection.

Communication and guidance materials have been developed to improve management of measles in the community and prevent further cases occurring. These are available on the HSE HPSC website.

The prime public health efforts have been on increasing vaccination coverage with MMR vaccine for those who were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated either through GPs or through specific vaccination teams who went out to communities and targeted population groups at particular risk.

All HSE areas sought to ensure that school vaccination teams delivered the school MMR vaccination programme at 4-5 years of age (some areas deliver this programme through GPs). Additional work has been undertaken by all HSE areas to identify those children who are due the first dose of MMR vaccine but have not received it and to call them for vaccination.

HSE has worked closely with Pavee point and HSE traveller health unit staff to ensure that travellers are aware of the need for MMR vaccine and are given an opportunity to avail of immunisation services.

Although the outbreak is abating there continues to be concern that, until all children are age appropriately vaccinated, measles transmission will continue to occur. All children due their vaccines but who may have missed out on them are urged to seek vaccination from their GP. In addition, a campaign is required in schools in the near future to ensure that all children are offered an additional opportunity to get the MMR vaccine if they are incompletely vaccinated.