Professor Luke O’Neill has urged parents to get their children vaccinated against measles as cases rise.
In 2021, there was only one recorded case of measles in Ireland; in 2022, there were only two.
By 2023, there were four and last year, there were over 100.
On The Hard Shoulder, the Trinity immunologist described the sudden surge in cases as a “big worry”.
“This is a serious disease, remember; one-in-four kids end up in hospital, one-in-10 can become deaf or blind,” he said.
“They get really sick, also diarrhoea.
“What parent would want to subject their child to the risk of that when the vaccine is highly protective against that particular situation?
“So, all you can do is try to encourage parents.”
Measles isn’t just a little rash. It can be dangerous, especially for babies & young children.
It can spread quickly & easily through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Get safe & long-lasting protection against measles with the MMR vaccinehttps://t.co/0jY94yysKP— HSE Social Inclusion (@HSE_SI) February 12, 2024
Professor O’Neill said the measles vaccine is “really safe” and has been given to children for decades.
“Millions of kids have had it and it’s massively protective against measles,” he said.
“So, all you can do is make the case for it and hope that parents go along with it.”
Measles is an infectious disease which requires immediate notification by phone to a Medical Officer of Health.
Medical practitioners should urgently notify suspected clinical cases of measles. This enables immediate control measures to be put in place. pic.twitter.com/CN2V7p01WO
— HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) (@hpscireland) January 24, 2024
In the 90s, concern about the safety of the measles vaccine and a potential link to autism began to spread; however, Professor O’Neill said those concerns are false.
“That was debunked completely, remember; never forget that was a fraudulent paper that was published,” he said.
“24 studies after that paper checked it and there was no link to autism at all.
“One Danish study with 600,000 kids, for example.
“So, we know there is no link to autism but that could be at the back of parents’ minds.”
The HSE has advised people to ensure they are up to date with their measles vaccinations. Further information about arranging measles vaccination is available on the HSE's website. https://t.co/keLfGSBwSS
— Health and Safety Authority (@TheHSA) April 30, 2024
Professor O’Neill added that there is “no question” that vaccines are the greatest achievement in the history of medicine.
“They save millions of lives,” he said.
“Remember the dreaded polio? Kids were getting paralysed and doctors were completely powerless against that.
“The vaccine comes along and prevents polio.”
If your child has missed a vaccine, you can ask your local GP to give them a catch up vaccine.
Main image: Professor Luke O’Neill in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk
