2013 Swansea measles epidemic

Measles epidemic in Wales November 2022 July 2011 2012–2013 Swansea measles epidemic Measles November 2012 –3 July 2013 1 1,219 The 2012–2013 Swansea measles epidemic began in November 2012 and was declared over on 3 July 2013. There were a total of 1,219 measles notifications (suspected cases) in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys, with 1,455 measles notifications for the whole of Wales, 664 of which were in Swansea alone.http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/888/page/66389 Measles Outbreak: Data Public Health Wales wales.nhs.uk A total of 88 people were hospitalised for measles infection during the epidemic.Swansea measles epidemic: Worries over MMR uptake after outbreak https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-23244628 BBC News 10 July 2013 21 August 2020 One death was reported: a 25-year-old man with giant cell pneumonia brought on by measles infection died on 18 April 2013.Measles sufferer Gareth Colfer-Williams died from pneumonia https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23135464 BBC News 1 July 2013 2 July 2013 The cost associated with treating the sick and controlling the outbreak exceeded £470,000 ($701,898). History Some sources linked the outbreak with the MMR vaccine controversy and a campaign in the South Wales Evening Post in the 1990s against the MMR vaccine,Measles outbreak sees 'missing generation' queuing for MMR jab Meikle J. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/17/measles-outbreak-mmr-jab The Guardian 17 April 2013 20 April 2013McCartney M. 10.1136/bmj.f2598 MMR, measles, and the South Wales Evening Post The BMJ 346 f2598 2013 23610382 34263104 as the majority of those who became infected were not immunised as infants during the MMR scare.The Price of the Autism-Measles Panic, 15 Years Later Willingham E. https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2013/07/21/the-price-of-the-autism-measles-panic-15-years-later/ Forbes 21 July 2013 30 July 2013 Uptake of the MMR vaccine fell from 94% of two-year-olds in Wales in 1995 to 78% by 2003. In the Swansea area the uptake fell to 67.5%. The South Wales Evening Post was also criticised for appearing to exaggerate the number of confirmed measles cases that occurred during the epidemic. In the wake of the outbreak MMR clinics were set up in four hospitals in Swansea and Neath-Port Talbot and vaccinated over 35,000 people. Several politicians, including Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones, urged the public to make sure their children were vaccinated.Swansea measles: First Minister urges MMR jabs for children https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22258153 BBC News 23 April 2013 24 April 2013 Politicians and vaccine experts also called for mandatory vaccinations to be implemented.Measles: Make MMR jab mandatory' call by US expert https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22089485 BBC News 10 April 2013 24 April 2013Swansea measles: Ex-health minister Edwina Currie backs mandatory jabs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-22238818 BBC News 21 April 2013 24 April 2013 The Welsh Government opposed mandatory vaccination, believing that trust in the MMR vaccine had been regained and could be damaged if it were mandatory. Hywel Dda Health Board offered the vaccine in April 2013 in the surrounding counties of Carmarthen, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire in a bid to contain the outbreak. Vaccinations were held in all comprehensive schools in Powys. There were concerns that the epidemic could spread to London and infect many more people,'Very large outbreak' of measles could hit London Legge J. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/very-large-outbreak-of-measles-could-hit-london-8591561.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/very-large-outbreak-of-measles-could-hit-london-8591561.html 1 May 2022 subscription The Independent 28 April 2013 1 May 2013 prompting the Department of Health to set up a mass vaccination campaign targeted at one million school children throughout England.Measles vaccination plan in England targets 1m children Gallagher J. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22276975 BBC News 25 April 2013 1 May 2013 The following table shows measles notifications by the Local Health Board. Health Board Nov 2012 Dec Jan 2013 Feb Mar Apr May June July Total Abertawe Bro Morgannwg 15 37 39 66 239 440 98 26 0 960 Hwyel Dda 17 24 8 9 14 43 28 13 2 158 Powys 2 0 3 0 36 46 12 2 0 101 Total 34 61 50 75 289 529 138 41 2 1219 Reported notifications tend to exceed confirmed cases. Public Health Wales issued a statement saying, "Measles is one of a number of notifiable diseases. Doctors in Wales have a statutory duty to notify a 'Proper Officer' of the Local Authority of suspected cases of measles based on clinical symptoms, usually before diagnosis has been confirmed by laboratory testing. Reported notifications of measles usually far exceed the actual numbers of confirmed cases. Other rashes are often mistaken for measles".http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgId=457&pid=25444 Measles 11 May 2013 See also Outbreak Pulse vaccination strategy Vaccine-naive References External links Timeline of Measles Outbreak Centred on Swansea Area, Public Health Wales. Category:Measles outbreaks Category:2013 in Wales Category:2013 disease outbreaks Category:21st century in Swansea Category:2010s epidemics Category:2013 disasters in the United Kingdom Category:Disease outbreaks in Wales