Investigations are establishing whether the measles epidemic in south Wales has claimed its first victim, after a 25-year-old man was found dead.
Fears centre on children who did not receive jabs a decade ago, after Andrew Wakefield’s now discredited research in The Lancet, which claimed a link between the vaccination and autism. Photo: ALAMY
Health officials said tests are being undertaken immediately to establish whether measles was the cause of death. South Wales Police said the man’s death was “sudden and unexplained”. Latest figures revealed there are 808 confirmed cases of the disease in the outbreak in south Wales, including 77 patients being treated in hospital. Senior doctors have warned that up to 2 million children in England and Wales who have not been immunised are at risk, as the disease spreads. The man, who has not been named, was found dead by relatives who had called to see him on Thursday at his flat in Swansea.A post-mortem is being carried out and Public Health Wales said that testing the deceased for measles would form part of the investigations being overseen by the Coroner. The man lived in the Port Tennant area of Swansea where many parents decided not to immunise their children because of a scare surrounding the MMR vaccine. Earlier this week, health officials warned that there was “a very real concern that we might get a death” and said they expected the number of measles cases to double in coming weeks. On Friday morning Dr Marion Lyons, Director of Health Protection said: “Public Health Wales is aware of a death being investigated by the Swansea Coroner. A diagnosis of measles has not yet been confirmed. Testing the deceased for measles is forming part of the investigations being overseen by the Coroner.” Health officials said that around one in every 1,000 people who contracts measles in developed countries will die. The last death from measles in the UK was in 2008, and before that, the last case of the disease killing an otherwise healthy person was in 1992, long before the MMR scare.
Dr Lyons said: “My sympathies are with the family at such a tragic time. Whatever the cause of death in this case, we should not be surprised if, as the outbreak grows, we start to see deaths in Wales.” Officials said those who were not vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine were highly likely to catch the disease, which is extremely contagious. Dr Lyons said: “We know that there are unprotected people in all age groups but we have particular concerns about the 10 to 18 age group. We are therefore urging all parents of children who have missed doses of MMR to arrange vaccination for them as a matter of urgency.” Extra clinics are expected to be held at hospitals around Swansea this weekend with health officials anticipating a rush of parents and children wanting the jab. Health workers have also visited local schools to immunise hundreds of children. Officials said over 1,700 jabs were administered in the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board area, which includes Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and Bridgend. Many of those being treated are babies and teenagers, who missed out on jabs a decade ago, when fears about a link between MMR and autism were at their height. The research by Andrew Wakefield, published in The Lancet in 1998, was later discredited, and he was struck off the medical register, but uptake of the vaccines remained low for several years in some parts of the UK. Dr Sara Hayes, director of public health for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Board, said: “This is a serious, horrible disease. We need to get rid of it. “I cannot stress enough how important it is for people to have their MMR. “The number of cases and people being hospitalised with measles is continuing to rise and we can only stop it by protecting those we can against it.” Experts are calling for an immediate national “catch-up” campaign to prevent the disease spreading from Wales to the rest of Britain. London is particularly vulnerable because nearly half of children were not vaccinated a decade ago. Dr Helen Bedford, of University College London’s Institute of Child Health, said that the measles outbreak in Wales could spread to the capital. She said: “There is a potential for more outbreaks. Children are going to get measles. There are about two million children who are susceptible because they haven’t been vaccinated. London is a particular case of point.”
source and credit a telegraph
Fears centre on children who did not receive jabs a decade ago, after Andrew Wakefield’s now discredited research in The Lancet, which claimed a link between the vaccination and autism. Photo: ALAMY
Health officials said tests are being undertaken immediately to establish whether measles was the cause of death. South Wales Police said the man’s death was “sudden and unexplained”. Latest figures revealed there are 808 confirmed cases of the disease in the outbreak in south Wales, including 77 patients being treated in hospital. Senior doctors have warned that up to 2 million children in England and Wales who have not been immunised are at risk, as the disease spreads. The man, who has not been named, was found dead by relatives who had called to see him on Thursday at his flat in Swansea.A post-mortem is being carried out and Public Health Wales said that testing the deceased for measles would form part of the investigations being overseen by the Coroner. The man lived in the Port Tennant area of Swansea where many parents decided not to immunise their children because of a scare surrounding the MMR vaccine. Earlier this week, health officials warned that there was “a very real concern that we might get a death” and said they expected the number of measles cases to double in coming weeks. On Friday morning Dr Marion Lyons, Director of Health Protection said: “Public Health Wales is aware of a death being investigated by the Swansea Coroner. A diagnosis of measles has not yet been confirmed. Testing the deceased for measles is forming part of the investigations being overseen by the Coroner.” Health officials said that around one in every 1,000 people who contracts measles in developed countries will die. The last death from measles in the UK was in 2008, and before that, the last case of the disease killing an otherwise healthy person was in 1992, long before the MMR scare.
Dr Lyons said: “My sympathies are with the family at such a tragic time. Whatever the cause of death in this case, we should not be surprised if, as the outbreak grows, we start to see deaths in Wales.” Officials said those who were not vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine were highly likely to catch the disease, which is extremely contagious. Dr Lyons said: “We know that there are unprotected people in all age groups but we have particular concerns about the 10 to 18 age group. We are therefore urging all parents of children who have missed doses of MMR to arrange vaccination for them as a matter of urgency.” Extra clinics are expected to be held at hospitals around Swansea this weekend with health officials anticipating a rush of parents and children wanting the jab. Health workers have also visited local schools to immunise hundreds of children. Officials said over 1,700 jabs were administered in the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board area, which includes Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and Bridgend. Many of those being treated are babies and teenagers, who missed out on jabs a decade ago, when fears about a link between MMR and autism were at their height. The research by Andrew Wakefield, published in The Lancet in 1998, was later discredited, and he was struck off the medical register, but uptake of the vaccines remained low for several years in some parts of the UK. Dr Sara Hayes, director of public health for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Board, said: “This is a serious, horrible disease. We need to get rid of it. “I cannot stress enough how important it is for people to have their MMR. “The number of cases and people being hospitalised with measles is continuing to rise and we can only stop it by protecting those we can against it.” Experts are calling for an immediate national “catch-up” campaign to prevent the disease spreading from Wales to the rest of Britain. London is particularly vulnerable because nearly half of children were not vaccinated a decade ago. Dr Helen Bedford, of University College London’s Institute of Child Health, said that the measles outbreak in Wales could spread to the capital. She said: “There is a potential for more outbreaks. Children are going to get measles. There are about two million children who are susceptible because they haven’t been vaccinated. London is a particular case of point.”
source and credit a telegraph
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