Measles is on the rise in Ireland – and people need to “catch up” on any missed vaccine appointments to bring rates down again, a pharmacist has warned.

There have been 81 diagnosed cases of measles in Ireland so far this year. 

Pharmacist Sheena Mitchell told The Pat Kenny Show the reason for the increase in cases is simply due to a relatively low vaccine rate. 

“We have only a vaccination rate of about 90% of the population,” she said. 

“We know from the World Health Organization that they recommend at least 95% vaccination rate to kind of offer that herd immunity amongst communities. 

“I think the pandemic certainly has a big role to play in that - it's really, really important to urge people to catch up on any missed appointments that, you know, they mightn't have gotten.” 

She said children of parents who didn’t get any vaccine are particularly vulnerable. 

Child with measles. Image: Jure Gasparic / Alamy Stock Photo

The parents are also vulnerable themselves if they never get the MMR vaccine. 

“Now, we've had the MMR vaccine, the mumps, measles, rubella vaccine for decades,” she said. 

The MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988 – although there was some resistance early on after Dr Andrew Wakefield wrongly suggested the vaccine had links to autism. 

“There have been huge studies of hundreds and hundreds of thousands of children since, which proved that there is no increased risk of autism,” she said. 

“[But] that would have affected some children who are actually in a group that are being affected at the moment, which is kind of the 25 to 40-year-olds.” 

Ms Mitchell said it’s important to remember is “extremely contagious”. 

“All you have to do is breathe the same air as someone who has had active measles,” she said. 

“That contagious period will last for four days before a rash appears, so people can be going about their normal business and not even realise they have it.” 

Measles symptoms

Symptoms of measles include fever, a head cold, coughing and a loss of appetite. 

Children with measles might present with conjunctivitis symptoms, according to Ms Mitchell. 

There are also ways to spot measles before the main symptoms emerge. 

“Before the rash appears... if you look inside your mouth or your child's mouth, in 80% of people with measles, you will see little white spots that are called Copley spots. 

“They almost look like little grains of salt and that is a big indicator.” 

Measles rashes – unlike spotty chickenpox – are much more “blotchy”, starting around the hairline and ears before spreading around your body. 

You can find out more about measles here.