Measles once again endemic in the United Kingdom

[varkam]

Eurosurveillance vol 13 (27)
03 July 2008
Link

Fourteen years after the local transmission of measles was halted in the United Kingdom (UK), the disease has once again become endemic, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the public health body of England and Wales. In an update on measles cases in its weekly bulletin last week, the agency stated that, as a result of almost a decade of low mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage across the UK, ‘the number of children susceptible to measles is now sufficient to support the continuous spread of measles’ <1>.

In an earlier update, the HPA reported that all recent indigenously-acquired cases with a genotype in England and Wales had been found to have the same D4 sequence (MVs/Enfield.GBR/14.07), a genotype first identified in April 2007 and which is now endemic in the UK <2>. In May, a 17-year-old with underlying congenital immunodeficiency died of acute measles infection, the first such fatality in the UK since 2006. The strain was also MVs/Enfield.GBR/14.07, genotype D4. The total number of confirmed measles cases in England and Wales so far this year is 461. In Scotland, there have been 68 cases of measles reported in 2008, of which 51 have been laboratory-confirmed <3>. All of the cases in Scotland were either not immunised or of unknown immunisation status. Only two of the cases were imported from abroad, both from Pakistan.

The HPA has recommended that health services exploit ‘all possible opportunities’ to offer MMR vaccine to children who have not received two doses. The agency also stressed the necessity for all healthcare workers in contact with vulnerable patients to have documented immunity to measles.

Europe is facing a measles epidemic, with large ongoing outbreaks for instance in Switzerland, Austria and Italy.

But MMR causes autism! The HPA must be in on it!

:crazy:

[dipsydoodle]

1. Only two of the cases were imported from abroad

I suppose all of the other case were fucking miracles. We've got the same problem here with TB being imported.x(

[lizerdbits]

2. What a shame

This is preventable and an immunocompromised person died due to lack of prevention.

[trotsky]

3. And don't forget Wakefield's bogus MMR scare

which caused vaccination rates to drop in the UK. Innocent children are now paying the price.

[lizerdbits]

7. Exactly

There are no details on the immunocompromised person, but it's possible that person was not medically able to be vaccinated. Those people need to rely on herd immunity from the rest of us. And to think some people keep thinking there's no harm in avoiding vaccinations when you are medically able to receive them.

[xchrom]

4. what a sad sad story --

that in this day and age these hysterical, phony anti-vaxers should bring us to this.
well -- duers here have said this is what will happen -- and now it has.

:grr:

[Orrex]

5. If only there were some way to prevent measles

Some way of, I don't know, exposing the body to a weakened strain of the disease in order to build up an immunity. Gosh, wouldn't it be great is such a magical procedure existed?

[cosmik debris]

6. You're dreaming

Big Pharma would never allow such a thing onto the market. They make their money by keeping you sick, remember?

[Orrex]

8. Oh, that reminds me--I should be getting my shill-payment from them in the next few days

It's a sweet deal, being an anonymous, online propagandizer.

[varkam]

10. Better stick your sarcasm tag on there.

Sad to say, but there are a few people around here that are so deluded that they'll take that at face value.

[semillama]

9. The silence from certain quarters is deafening. n/t

[varkam]

11. Yeah. Where are the, erm, anti-sweepers? eom

[cosmik debris]

12. They are cowering in fear

FEAR that the cell phone towers will transmit the measles to them!

[Heddi]

13. I got measels by drinking Non-Mexican Coke!

It's the High Fructose Corn SYRUP.

THEY HAVE NOT TOLD YOU THIS BUT IT IS TRUE I KNOW BECAUSE I READ IT ON A WEBSITE.

Do not trust when this link has been debunked as garbage IT IS TRUE OR ELSE IT WOULD BE AGAINST THE LAW TO PRINT IT ON THE INTERNETS.

[varkam]

14. I like the caps. Nice touch.

:thumbsup:

[cosmik debris]

15. That wasn't measles...

That was monkey virus from the polio vaccine from the 1950's.

[Orrex]

16. And you were assaulted by a unicorn, from what I hear

I've seen pictures, and everything.

[cosmik debris]

17. Who assaulted whom? did you get that backward? n/t

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

18. That's funny right there.

You big sweeper you.

David

[SidDithers]

19. Surely there must be something available from the LEF...

to take the place of MMR vaccines.

Sid