Vaccination remains the best protection against serious diseases

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has renewed its call for people to make sure their children are fully vaccinated against preventable diseases following the recent outbreak of measles in England.

Measles is highly infectious and is caused by a virus that can easily spread between unvaccinated people. There’s no specific medical treatment for measles, so it’s important to get vaccinated as it’s the best protection against becoming seriously unwell.

Rachel Spiers, Senior Commissioning Lead for Immunisations at the PHA, said: “Most of the cases of measles in England have been in children under the age of 10 years, with many linked to nurseries and schools. In Northern Ireland we have seen a fall in the numbers of children receiving the MMR vaccine, increasing the risk of a similar situation here.

“It is therefore important that unvaccinated children and young adults get any missed doses as soon as possible. Increasing vaccination coverage is crucial to help ensure widespread protection and prevent outbreaks of measles.

“For most people measles can be an unpleasant illness, but unfortunately for some individuals, measles can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications. It used to be very common in children here, but following the introduction of the MMR vaccine it became rare. There were no confirmed cases in Northern Ireland in the seven years prior to 2024, but in that year we had 22 confirmed cases.”

In January this year the PHA announced that chickenpox vaccination will be added to the childhood immunisation programme, with eligible children being offered a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (the clinical term for chickenpox) – (MMRV) – as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule.

Rachel continued: “Alongside helping to prevent measles, mumps and rubella,  eligible children will now benefit from additional protection against chickenpox and its serious complications. . This will help protect thousands of children from these unpleasant and potentially serious illnesses each year, but only if they get vaccinated.

“Evidence from its use in other countries shows that the MMRV vaccine has a good safety record and is very effective. Its introduction here will have a really positive impact on the health of our young children.”

To support the launch of the MMRV vaccine, a new Living Well campaign – ‘immunise, protect, thrive’ – focussing on the importance of childhood immunisations is running in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland through February and March. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination and highlight that it is the most important thing you can do to protect your child from ill health.

If you are unsure if your child is up to date with vaccinations, the easiest way to check is to look at your child’s red book or speak to your health visitor or GP surgery.

If your child has missed a vaccination, please contact your GP practice to book an appointment as soon as you can to make sure they have maximum protection against disease.

For more information on childhood immunisations and eligibility for the MMRV see www.nidirect.gov.uk/childhood-immunisation