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University of Nebraska Medical Center

Measles: First case in seven years confirmed in Northern Ireland

BBC

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has confirmed that a case of measles has been diagnosed in Northern Ireland.

The PHA said the case was confirmed in an adult who picked it up while travelling.

Close contacts have been notified and “all appropriate public health actions are being undertaken”.

It is the first case of measles in Northern Ireland for seven years. Cases have been rising across Great Britain and Ireland in recent weeks.

The last confirmed case of measles in Northern Ireland was in 2017.

Dr Joanne McClean, Director of Public Health at the PHA said “it is vital that those who have not had their two doses of the MMR vaccine to act now and reduce the risks from this highly contagious and potentially deadly disease”.

A vaccination catch-up programme is currently under way in Northern Ireland. It’s offering first and second doses of the MMR to anyone aged between 12 months and 25 years old who missed getting the vaccines first time around.

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