Well done anti-vaxxers – another triumph for public health. There are more than 200 confirmed cases of measles in the outbreak on Merseyside.
There are 210 confirmed cases, 39 of which needed hospital treatment. Ninety two cases are under investigation.
About 50% of the cases are in children under five years old.
The outbreak, which is concentrated on Liverpool where there are 125 confirmed cases, is the largest since the MMR vaccine was introduced.
Strange, isn’t it. There’s an effective vaccine for measles. You’d think it would be going away, not coming back.
Dr Roberto Vivancos, a Health Protection Agency consultant, said: “It’s obvious from these statistics that people who are not fully vaccinated are not just at risk themselves, but they pose an infection risk to others, such as defenceless babies and toddlers who are too young to be vaccinated.
“Measles is a very infectious illness that spreads rapidly amongst children and adults who are not protected by MMR vaccine.
“It is also a serious illness that can lead to serious complications. On rare occasions, people die from measles.
“It should not be treated lightly, but it is an avoidable illness and we strongly advise parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated.”
Fascist! It’s every parent’s right to refuse to get children vaccinated. Our ancestors died to protect our right to refuse to get children vaccinated; the right to be infected and to spread infection to others is sacred and cannot be abrogated.