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URGENT MESSAGE ABOUT MEASLES
April 2011- The Health Protection Agency has notified the Practice that there has been a recent confirmed case of Measles in the local area and other suspected cases are under investigation.
If you/your child are aged between 5 and 19 and have NOT had 2 MMR vaccine injections please contact the surgery to make an appointment for a catch-up. If you/your child have had the single separate vaccines you should book an appointment to discuss your situation with the nurse.
If you are in any doubt about which vaccines you have had, please check with the surgery. More information about Measles below>.
The First Four years - Approximate Dates
8 Weeks
12 Weeks
16 Weeks
8 - 12 Months
13 - 15 Months
21 - 24 Months
3 Years
3 - 4 Years
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Pre-School Assessment
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Pre-School Immunisation
MEASLES
The UK has been named as one of the worst countries in Europe for measles, with case levels dashing global hopes of eradicating the disease by 2010. The Lancet study says that in 2006-7 most of the 12,000 cases in Europe were found in the UK and four other nations.
In a Lancet comment article, experts said the UK was only recovering slowly from the unsubstantiated scare that the MMR vaccine was linked to autism. The UK coverage fell below 85% between 2002 and 2005, in the wake of safety fears over the MMR vaccine, and has hovered at about that mark since.
That means there are "serious doubts" whether a World Health Organisation target to eradicate measles by 2010 will be reached, the researchers said.
For more information on measles and the MMR vaccine please get in touch with your health visitor, practice nurse, GP or visit
http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/vaccinations/Pages/Vaccinesforkidshub.aspx or http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Measles/
As an NHS provider we recommend the MMR vaccine for your child and hope that you will make an appointment with one of the practice nurses for this vaccination to be done.
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