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Health chief's jab plea as fears rise over infections
HEALTH officials have made a fresh plea to parents to protect their children with the MMR vaccine.
In the first three months of this year, 40 cases of measles and 276 cases of mumps were confirmed in the North West.
Now the Health Protection Agency North West wants parents to allow their children to have two doses of the vaccine.
Dr Rosemary McCann, the agency’s immunisation lead, said: “We’re still seeing a lot of measles and mumps in many parts of the region and the only way we’re going to eliminate these infections is by working with parents, schools, universities and other further education institutions to encourage MMR uptake.
“Every child should be vaccinated at 13 months and given a booster before going to school.
“These uptake rates are continuing to rise, but we still have large numbers of older children and teenagers who missed out on vaccination at the appropriate age.
“That’s why we’re seeing so many cases of mumps in teenagers and young adults.
Dr McCann said that measles and mumps should not be lightly dismissed as childhood illnesses.
Measles can be a nasty illness with potential for complications including meningitis and encephalitis. On rare occasions, measles can kill.
Mumps is also a serious and often very painful illness that can lead to complications including viral meningitis, long term hearing problems and painful swelling of the testicles in males and the ovaries in females.
“My message to parents of unprotected teenagers and young adults, in fact to the young people themselves, is that it is not too late to be vaccinated.
“Anyone up to the age of 18 who has not previously had two doses of MMR vaccine should arrange it through their doctor.”
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 32 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 28 mph
Wind direction: North west
