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Swansea measles: 2,500 receive MMR jab at drop-in clinics | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
More than 2,500 people have received MMR vaccinations in a fourth weekend of special clinics to tackle the Swansea measles epidemic. | |
Health board officials welcomed the high turnout at sessions in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend. | |
The figure includes 570 people who received jabs at the first clinic to be held in Llanelli, Camarthenshire. | |
More than 940 measles cases have been confirmed with 83 people needing hospital treatment. | |
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (ABM), which covers the Swansea area, plans more evening drop-in clinics during the coming week. | |
The number of cases in the epidemic which began last November could pass 1,000 over the weekend if current trends continue. | |
Dr Sara Hayes, ABM Director of Public Health, said they were really pleased to see so many people attending the clinics on Saturday. | |
"By having your MMR you are not only protecting yourself from a horrible virus, but others such as very young babies and people who are vulnerable because they are having treatment for conditions like cancer. | |
"We are particularly targeting children and teenagers aged between 10 and 18 years of age who probably missed having the MMR when they were little. | |
"We are going in to more secondary schools offering the MMR, but if you don't want to wait or miss the session in school we are running some evening drop-in clinics next week or you can go to your GP." | |
Schools targeted | |
The neighbouring Hywel Dda health board said around 570 people were vaccinated at the first drop-in clinic held in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. | |
The board described it as "very successful" with the ages of the people who received the vaccination ranging from six months to 94 years old. | |
Sixty five cases have been confirmed in Llanelli since the start of the year. | |
All schools in the Hywel Dda region - which covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire - will offer vaccinations to an estimated 4,000 schoolchildren over the next four weeks. | |
Two other health boards - Anuerin Bevan and Cardiff and Vale - held drop-in MMR clinics on previous weekends. | |
Cases have also been identified in north Powys, and the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board serving north Wales is beginning a programme of vaccination sessions in schools. | |
So far, only one suspected death has been linked to the measles outbreak. | |
Further tests are to be carried out on Gareth Colfer-Williams, 25, from Swansea, to establish the cause of death. | |
He had measles but was known to have suffered other health problems including asthma. | |
A post-mortem examination proved inconclusive. | |
Meanwhile the Welsh Conservatives' health spokesman has called for a public inquiry. | |
Darren Millar told his party conference in Swansea: "Once this epidemic has subsided - as it eventually will - the Welsh Conservatives will press for a public inquiry into the outbreak to ensure that lessons can be learned." | |
In England, a £20m catch-up campaign already has 1.2 million vaccines ready to go amid concerns that that a generation of children have low levels of protection against measles after the MMR scare more than a decade ago. | |
The campaign aims to vaccinate children yet to be protected with the MMR - measles, mumps and rubella - jab by September. | The campaign aims to vaccinate children yet to be protected with the MMR - measles, mumps and rubella - jab by September. |
Run through GPs, schools and community groups, it will focus on children aged 10 to 16. | Run through GPs, schools and community groups, it will focus on children aged 10 to 16. |