There is a measles outbreak in UK and mainland Europe right now. With midterm approaching and many families traveling, there are concerns that we may see a measles outbreak here.

Rather than talk about what could happen, let’s talk about the last measles outbreak in Ireland, focusing on just one hospital in north Dublin between December 1999 and July 2000. In that hospital, 355 children attended the A&E illl with measles. 111 were admitted to hospital, mostly because of severe dehydration or pneumonia. 11.7% required treatment in the intensive care unit, and in 7 of these needed a ventilator ( a machine to breathe for them. There were 3 deaths.

Measles is very contagious. It spreads before symptoms, and the first symptoms are just like a cold. There is no treatment for measles. While many children may have a mild course of measles, 20% of unvaccinated children who have measles will need to be treated in hospital. Measles can cause a serious complication called “encephalitis”, an inflammation of the brain that can cause blindness or death. (Author Roald Dahl wrote a heart-breaking account of losing his 7 y.o. daughter to that in 1962.) Measles can be cause complications in pregnant women who are not vaccinated. Measles can also cause a rare but fatal long term complication called “SSPE.” Much of this we have forgotten; vaccines have created a collective forgetfulness about many things (like forgotten polio lockdowns of 1950’s)

If you are vaccine hesitant: Talk to your GP or public health nurse. I also love CHOP – The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia has a vaccine education website dedicated to answering common questions and addressing common urban myths/fear, and well-worth your time.

Yes, my children are vaccinated. I love my children as much as you love yours. My children are perfect, just like yours.  And like you, I would never do anything that I think would harm them.  Which is why I made the decision to keep their childhood immunisations up-to-date.  I had the advantage though:  I am able to close out the noise because I really do understand vaccines**: what’s in them (yes, my patients ask and I really do know what’s in them), how vaccines work, and what the risks/benefits are.