Chief medical officer 'very concerned' about rise of measles in Ireland

Ireland's chief medical officer has said she is "very concerned" about the rise of measles in the Irish population. 

"I am concerned about measles in our population as we’re seeing an increase in cases across Europe. The MMR vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine that protects your child against measles. Find out more at immunisation.ie," Prof Breda Smyth said. 

She said there has been a significant increase in the number of cases in Europe in the first six months of the year. 

"So much so, that it is equivalant to all of the cases that were in the 12 months of 2022," Prof Smyth said. 

"If I was travelling to Europe with my children this year, it’s really important that my child would be protected against measles.”

"This can be achieved through the vaccine," Prof Smyth said.

Uptake of the first MMR dose – recommended for babies at 12 months – was 89.2% in the first quarter of this year, down three percentage points on what it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Uptake of the second dose in junior infants has also dropped by three points to 88%. The HSE’s target is 95% immunisation, the level recommended by the World Health Organization to ensure community-wide protection.