The HSE has issued the warning to parents after the spread of the infectious disease in the UK.
Irish parents are being advised to ensure their children’s MMR vaccinations are up to date after more than 100 people were diagnosed with measles in the UK.
The NHS revealed today that cases of the disease have been confirmed in the West Midlands, Liverpool, Cheshire, Surrey, Sussex and Greater Manchester.
The HSE is now warning parents to be vigilant of the symptoms with Dr Deirdre Mulholland from the HSE appearing on Morning Ireland today to say:
“This is a very serious disease and can have very serious consequences and it is also a highly infectious disease.
“It can lead to serious chest infections, ear infections, swelling of the brain and in some circumstances, brain damage.
“It’s important that we can get the message out there that measles is circulating in the community.
“From first exposure, it would usually show up within 14 days but it can take up to 21 days.”
Parents are being told to keep an eye out for the common symptoms of measles which include:
- cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, watery eyes, swollen eyelids and sneezing,
- red eyes and sensitivity to light,
- a mild to severe temperature, which may peak at over 40.6°C (105°F) for several days, then fall but go up again when the rash appears,
- tiny greyish-white spots (called Koplik’s spots) in the mouth and throat,
- tiredness, irritability and general lack of energy,
- aches and pains,
- poor appetite,
- dry cough,
- red-brown spotty rash.
This warning comes two months after a previous warning in November after 17 people were confirmed to have had the disease.
