Latest news with #AndrewWakefield
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Measles warning to holidaymakers as outbreaks surge in major tourist hotspots
The UK Health Security Agency has recorded outbreaks of the infectious disease in England, while also warning which countries in Europe and Asia have highest rates of measles A measles outbreak is seeing over 100 new confirmed cases a month mainly in young children. The UK Health Security Agency warns measles is surging in a host of popular holiday destinations abroad and Brits could bring infections home with them. In Europe outbreaks are being recorded in countries including France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Romania. Globally countries with the highest rates of measles are Pakistan, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Nigeria. Measles causes a fever and itchy spots but in rare cases can lead to death or disabilities such as blindness, deafness and lifelong thinking problems caused by dangerous swelling of the brain. Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said: 'It's essential that everyone, particularly parents of young children, check all family members are up to date with two MMR doses, especially if you are travelling this summer for holidays or visiting family. Measles cases are picking up again in England and outbreaks are happening in Europe and many countries with close links to the UK. 'Measles spreads very easily and can be a nasty disease, leading to complications like ear and chest infections and inflammation of the brain with some children tragically ending up in hospital and suffering life-long consequences. Nobody wants this for their child and it's not something you want to experience when away on holiday.' Measles is one of the most highly infectious diseases and spreads rapidly among those who are unvaccinated. Each infected person can pass the disease onto around 15 other unvaccinated people. Latest UKHSA data shows 109 confirmed measles cases in England in April and so far 86 have been recorded for May - however there is usually a data recording lag from infection and symptoms starting so health chiefs say this latest monthly total is likely to go up. So far in 2025 there have been 420 laboratory confirmed measles cases with two thirds being in children under 10. The real number of cases is thought to be much higher. It comes after 2024 saw the biggest measles outbreak in Britain for decades and one death and the UKHSA warns cases could increase sharply again this summer. Coverage of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine started to decline following a 1998 report by Andrew Wakefield which falsely linked the jab with autism. Even though the claim was discredited, and Wakefield struck off the medical register, the vaccination programme took years to recover. Now MMR vaccine coverage is the lowest it has been for more than a decade, with around 83.9% of youngsters having the jab. The World Health Organisation says 95% should have both doses to maintain herd immunity. Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said: 'Tens of thousands of additional MMR vaccinations were delivered following NHS action last year to protect children against measles, mumps and rubella, and the recent increase in cases seen in England and Europe should act as an important reminder to ensure your child is protected. 'Too many babies and young children are still not protected against the diseases, which are contagious infections that spread very easily and can cause serious health problems. MMR jabs are provided free as part of the NHS routine immunisation programme – and I would encourage all parents to act on invites or check vaccination records if they think they may have missed their child's vaccination.' The NHS says measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth. The first symptoms of measles include a high temperature, a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, a cough as well as red, sore, watery eyes. The first MMR vaccine is offered to infants when they turn one and the second dose to pre-school children when they are around three years and four months old. Around 99% of those who have two doses will be protected against measles and rubella. Although mumps protection is slightly lower, cases in vaccinated people are much less severe. Dr Saliba added: 'The MMR vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your family from measles. Babies under the age of one and some people who have weakened immune systems can't have the vaccine and are at risk of more serious complications if they get measles. They rely on the rest of us getting the vaccine to protect them. 'It is never too late to catch up, if you're not sure if any of your family are up to date, check their Red Book or contact your GP practice. Don't put it off and regret it later.' The UKHSA says anyone who has not had two doses can contact their GP surgery to book an appointment. It is never too late to catch-up. Click HERE for more information on the MMR vaccine from the UKHSA.
Pembrokeshire Herald
29-04-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Measles and mumps return: Vaccine warnings reignite public anger
A WARNING from Hywel Dda Health Board that measles and mumps are resurging in Wales has exposed deep divisions over vaccines, sparking an explosive reaction online. In a statement released during World Immunization Week, the health board urged parents to ensure their children receive the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, describing it as the 'best protection' against life-threatening complications such as meningitis, deafness, and even death. 'If 95% of children receive the MMR vaccine, measles could be wiped out completely,' the health board said. 'However, outbreaks occur when vaccination rates drop below 90%.' The reminder prompted hundreds of responses online, quickly descending into a battle between public health advocates and vaccine sceptics. One mother, Rachel Beckett, shared a harrowing memory of suffering from mumps as a child: 'I remember lying in agony on my mother's bed while the sound of kids playing outside echoed in. I thought I was dying.' Other commenters warned that many younger parents do not realise the dangers because vaccines have made serious complications rare in modern Britain. 'Vaccines made these horrors a distant memory,' said one user. However, vaccine sceptics questioned the motivations behind immunisation campaigns. Some suggested doctors receive financial incentives for administering vaccines. Official NHS documents show GP practices are paid a fee per jab administered, around £10, to cover service delivery – but health professionals point out that the payments fund surgery costs, not individual bonuses. 'GPs are not profiting personally from vaccinations,' wrote one commentator. 'The payments are for providing services, not backhanders.' The controversy also reignited the long-running debate over Andrew Wakefield's discredited claims linking the MMR vaccine to autism. Although his research was found to be fraudulent and his medical licence revoked, misinformation continues to circulate. Public health advocates were blunt in response. Gareth Pitt-Nash wrote: 'Just google 'Lancet MMR fraud'. It's not a mystery why measles is coming back when people ignore science.' Others warned that falling vaccination rates could result in a return to the dark days when measles, rubella, and mumps caused widespread childhood disability and death. As of 2025, UK childhood vaccination rates for MMR remain below the World Health Organization's recommended target of 95%, leaving communities vulnerable to outbreaks. The health board urged families to check their vaccination records urgently, stating that catching up with missed vaccines could save lives. The facts about the MMR vaccine What is the MMR vaccine? The MMR vaccine protects against three serious diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles). How effective is it? Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide about 99% protection against measles, 88% protection against mumps, and 97% protection against rubella. When is it given? Children are usually given their first dose at 12–13 months old, and a second dose at around 3 years and 4 months, before starting school. Is it safe? The MMR vaccine has been used safely for over 30 years. Millions of doses are given worldwide every year. Serious side effects are extremely rare. Mild side effects such as a sore arm or mild fever are common and temporary. Why is high uptake important? At least 95% of children need to be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks. If vaccination rates fall below 90%, diseases like measles can spread rapidly again. What about the autism claim? A study published in 1998 suggested a link between MMR and autism. This study was found to be fraudulent, was retracted, and the author was struck off the medical register. Extensive research since has found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. What are the risks of measles, mumps, and rubella? Measles can cause meningitis, pneumonia, blindness, and death. Mumps can cause deafness and swelling of the brain. Rubella can cause serious birth defects if a pregnant woman catches it. Where to find more information: Visit Public Health Wales – MMR vaccine. Readers react: Vaccines, health risks, and mistrust A simple public health warning about rising measles and mumps cases ignited a fierce debate among local residents. Some shared harrowing personal experiences: 'My daughter was like a rag doll for a week with measles. It was terrifying.' – Pat Greenhorn 'I had mumps so badly I couldn't swallow without pain at three years old. Don't put children through that.' – Rachel Beckett Others defended vaccinations: 'Vaccines made these diseases rare. Now misinformation is undoing that progress.' – Jacqueline White 'Measles killed children. Rubella caused birth defects. Vaccines are not optional.' – Diana Salmon However, some questioned the motives behind vaccine campaigns: 'GP practices get paid per vaccine given. It's about money, not health.' – Melissa Jade 'Big pharma profits more from sick people than healthy ones.' – Cantalope Catalina And others called for calm: 'GPs don't pocket bonuses. Payments fund services, not personal profits.' – Katy Hocking The underlying message from health professionals remains simple: without high vaccination rates, once-defeated diseases will return.
Pembrokeshire Herald
29-04-2025
- Health
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembrokeshire County Council: Two senior members step down
A WARNING from Hywel Dda Health Board that measles and mumps are resurging in Wales has exposed deep divisions over vaccines, sparking an explosive reaction online. In a statement released during World Immunization Week, the health board urged parents to ensure their children receive the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, describing it as the 'best protection' against life-threatening complications such as meningitis, deafness, and even death. 'If 95% of children receive the MMR vaccine, measles could be wiped out completely,' the health board said. 'However, outbreaks occur when vaccination rates drop below 90%.' The reminder prompted hundreds of responses online, quickly descending into a battle between public health advocates and vaccine sceptics. One mother, Rachel Beckett, shared a harrowing memory of suffering from mumps as a child: 'I remember lying in agony on my mother's bed while the sound of kids playing outside echoed in. I thought I was dying.' Other commenters warned that many younger parents do not realise the dangers because vaccines have made serious complications rare in modern Britain. 'Vaccines made these horrors a distant memory,' said one user. However, vaccine sceptics questioned the motivations behind immunisation campaigns. Some suggested doctors receive financial incentives for administering vaccines. Official NHS documents show GP practices are paid a fee per jab administered, around £10, to cover service delivery – but health professionals point out that the payments fund surgery costs, not individual bonuses. 'GPs are not profiting personally from vaccinations,' wrote one commentator. 'The payments are for providing services, not backhanders.' The controversy also reignited the long-running debate over Andrew Wakefield's discredited claims linking the MMR vaccine to autism. Although his research was found to be fraudulent and his medical licence revoked, misinformation continues to circulate. Public health advocates were blunt in response. Gareth Pitt-Nash wrote: 'Just google 'Lancet MMR fraud'. It's not a mystery why measles is coming back when people ignore science.' Others warned that falling vaccination rates could result in a return to the dark days when measles, rubella, and mumps caused widespread childhood disability and death. As of 2025, UK childhood vaccination rates for MMR remain below the World Health Organization's recommended target of 95%, leaving communities vulnerable to outbreaks. The health board urged families to check their vaccination records urgently, stating that catching up with missed vaccines could save lives. The facts about the MMR vaccine What is the MMR vaccine? The MMR vaccine protects against three serious diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles). How effective is it? Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide about 99% protection against measles, 88% protection against mumps, and 97% protection against rubella. When is it given? Children are usually given their first dose at 12–13 months old, and a second dose at around 3 years and 4 months, before starting school. Is it safe? The MMR vaccine has been used safely for over 30 years. Millions of doses are given worldwide every year. Serious side effects are extremely rare. Mild side effects such as a sore arm or mild fever are common and temporary. Why is high uptake important? At least 95% of children need to be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks. If vaccination rates fall below 90%, diseases like measles can spread rapidly again. What about the autism claim? A study published in 1998 suggested a link between MMR and autism. This study was found to be fraudulent, was retracted, and the author was struck off the medical register. Extensive research since has found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. What are the risks of measles, mumps, and rubella? Measles can cause meningitis, pneumonia, blindness, and death. Mumps can cause deafness and swelling of the brain. Rubella can cause serious birth defects if a pregnant woman catches it. Where to find more information: Visit Public Health Wales – MMR vaccine. Readers react: Vaccines, health risks, and mistrust A simple public health warning about rising measles and mumps cases ignited a fierce debate among local residents. Some shared harrowing personal experiences: 'My daughter was like a rag doll for a week with measles. It was terrifying.' – Pat Greenhorn 'I had mumps so badly I couldn't swallow without pain at three years old. Don't put children through that.' – Rachel Beckett Others defended vaccinations: 'Vaccines made these diseases rare. Now misinformation is undoing that progress.' – Jacqueline White 'Measles killed children. Rubella caused birth defects. Vaccines are not optional.' – Diana Salmon However, some questioned the motives behind vaccine campaigns: 'GP practices get paid per vaccine given. It's about money, not health.' – Melissa Jade 'Big pharma profits more from sick people than healthy ones.' – Cantalope Catalina And others called for calm: 'GPs don't pocket bonuses. Payments fund services, not personal profits.' – Katy Hocking The underlying message from health professionals remains simple: without high vaccination rates, once-defeated diseases will return.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Measles is back': cases in the EU have jumped by a factor of ten
Cases of measles increased by 10-fold in the European Union last year, the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) has said. In 2024, 32,265 cases of the Victorian-era disease were recorded in the EU – compared to just 3,973 in 2023. About 60 per cent of those infected were hospitalised. The UK also reported a surge in cases last year at 2,900, an eight-fold increase compared to 2023. The spike has been felt around the world. In the World Health Organization's European Region – which includes 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia – cases doubled in 2024 and reached their highest levels on record since 1997. In 2024, there were 127,350 reported cases across the region – nearly all of which were in the unvaccinated. At least 38 people died, mostly children under five who are more vulnerable to the disease. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth, and can lead to serious complications like pneumonia, brain swelling, blindness, and a phenomenon known as 'immune amnesia' – whereby a person's immune system loses the ability to fight off common infections. The highest number of cases in the WHO's Europe region were recorded in Romania, at 30,692, followed by Russia and Kazakhstan. The sharp increase has been blamed largely on disruptions in routine vaccination programmes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. In 2020, 1.8 million infants in Europe missed their measles vaccine, which is given in two doses – at 12 months and three years. The backlog has yet to be cleared, with half a million children in Europe missing their first dose in 2023 alone. Disinformation spread through social media – including the discredited claim by former doctor Andrew Wakefield that the MMR vaccine causes autism – has also majorly contributed to widespread vaccine hesitancy, which has picked up speed again since the pandemic. The global vaccination coverage for the disease now stands at just 83 per cent, which falls significantly short of the 95 per cent needed to eradicate measles. 'Measles is back, and its a wake-up call,' Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, said in a statement. 'Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.' The Victorian-era disease has also made a major comeback in the US this year, which recorded its first measles death, in an unvaccinated child, in over a decade last month. So far in 2025, the country has recorded more than 250 cases across several states – exceeding the entire total for 2024. The majority of cases have been reported in rural Texas, where vaccine scepticism is particularly high. It comes as the new health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Junior, has promoted the false theory that childhood vaccinations are linked to autism, and promoted alternative treatments – like cod liver oil – as 'miraculous' remedies to treat the disease. In Afghanistan, where only 43 per cent of children have both measles vaccines, there has also been an 'alarming surge' in cases this year, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières, which operates three hospitals in the country. In the first eight weeks of 2025, MSF recorded one child dying every day from measles complications – a three-fold increase from the same period in 2024. The Taliban-run Ministry of Health said the report was inaccurate. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
17-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
‘Measles is back': cases in the EU have jumped by a factor of ten
Cases of measles increased by 10-fold in the European Union last year, the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) has said. In 2024, 32,265 cases of the Victorian-era disease were recorded in the EU – compared to just 3,973 in 2023. About 60 per cent of those infected were hospitalised. The UK also reported a surge in cases last year at 2,900, an eight-fold increase compared to 2023. The spike has been felt around the world. In the World Health Organization's European Region – which includes 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia – cases doubled in 2024 and reached their highest levels on record since 1997. In 2024, there were 127,350 reported cases across the region – nearly all of which were in the unvaccinated. At least 38 people died, mostly children under five who are more vulnerable to the disease. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth, and can lead to serious complications like pneumonia, brain swelling, blindness, and a phenomenon known as 'immune amnesia' – whereby a person's immune system loses the ability to fight off common infections. The highest number of cases in the WHO's Europe region were recorded in Romania, at 30,692, followed by Russia and Kazakhstan. The sharp increase has been blamed largely on disruptions in routine vaccination programmes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. In 2020, 1.8 million infants in Europe missed their measles vaccine, which is given in two doses – at 12 months and three years. The backlog has yet to be cleared, with half a million children in Europe missing their first dose in 2023 alone. Disinformation spread through social media – including the discredited claim by former doctor Andrew Wakefield that the MMR vaccine causes autism – has also majorly contributed to widespread vaccine hesitancy, which has picked up speed again since the pandemic. The global vaccination coverage for the disease now stands at just 83 per cent, which falls significantly short of the 95 per cent needed to eradicate measles. 'Measles is back, and its a wake-up call,' Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, said in a statement. 'Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.' The Victorian-era disease has also made a major comeback in the US this year, which recorded its first measles death, in an unvaccinated child, in over a decade last month. So far in 2025, the country has recorded more than 250 cases across several states – exceeding the entire total for 2024. The majority of cases have been reported in rural Texas, where vaccine scepticism is particularly high. It comes as the new health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Junior, has promoted the false theory that childhood vaccinations are linked to autism, and promoted alternative treatments – like cod liver oil – as 'miraculous' remedies to treat the disease. In Afghanistan, where only 43 per cent of children have both measles vaccines, there has also been an 'alarming surge' in cases this year, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières, which operates three hospitals in the country. In the first eight weeks of 2025, MSF recorded one child dying every day from measles complications – a three-fold increase from the same period in 2024. The Taliban-run Ministry of Health said the report was inaccurate.
