Measles: Warning As South Wales Cases Spread

Measles cases in Wales are spreading with "alarming" speed despite urgent calls to ensure children have vital MMR protection.

Health chiefs have again warned that the epidemic could leave unprotected children brain-damaged or dead.

Public Health Wales (PHW) says 432 cases have been reported so far, mainly in the Swansea area, with 51 people - many of them babies - in hospital.

In the last week alone, 116 people have been diagnosed and the numbers infected have doubled in less than four weeks.

The disease has now spread to children in 111 secondary and primary schools, nurseries and play groups.

Experts fear the epidemic could rival an outbreak which ravaged Dublin more than a decade ago, when three people died.

PHW is urging parents of all children aged between one and 18 in Wales who have not been fully vaccinated to contact their GP for advice and to arrange vaccination as soon as possible.

Dr Marion Lyons, PHW director of health protection, warned: "Measles is now spreading at an alarming rate across areas of Wales.

"Worryingly, there are still tens of thousands of susceptible children across Wales, yet our weekly monitoring of vaccination rates shows only a slight increase in numbers receiving MMR jabs."

Charlotte Jones, a family doctor in Sketty, near Swansea, told Sky News: "We're extremely concerned because we're seeing more and more cases increasing week by week."

"One would think that as schools break up for the Easter holidays maybe that would slow the spread.

"But people travel during the holidays, and during the incubation period when they may not be showing any symptoms they could be starting an outbreak in new areas.

"Historically, in Swansea and some of the neighbouring areas there has been a very low uptake of the MMR vaccine.

"By having your child vaccinated, not only are you protecting them but everyone else in the family and anyone who is vulnerable or pregnant they come into contact with, so please get you child vaccinated."

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