First confirmed measles fatality in 2024

The death of an adult with confirmed measles has taken place in a hospital in the Dublin and Midlands Health Region. This is the first confirmed measles case notified in Ireland in 2024. The HSE says its public health teams, along with the HSE Measles National Incident Management Team (IMT), are taking all necessary public health actions in relation to the case. The HSE Measles IMT was established in response to the recent rise in measles cases in the UK and Europe. The UK Health Security Agency reported a resurgence of measles in 2023, particularly in the West Midlands and London, however, all regions of England now have reported cases.

Measles has been a notifiable disease in Ireland since 1946. There were four cases reported in 2023, two case reported in 2022, no cases were reported in 2021, and five cases were reported in 2020. There were no deaths reported in any of those years. 

“Getting vaccinated against diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella is vitally important as these conditions can also lead to other serious problems including meningitis, hearing loss, and problems during pregnancy,” said Dr Lucy Jessop, Director of the National Immunisation Office, HSE. 

In Ireland, MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine rates have notably fallen in recent years, therefore, there is a high chance of measles cases and outbreaks, and healthcare practitioners are advised to maintain vigilance and suspicion. 

MMR uptake in Ireland is less than the 95 per cent target set by the World Health Organisation, and has declined to below 90 per cent since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Uptake of the first vaccine dose, which is offered to children at 12 months of age, was as low as 89 per cent in quarter two of 2023, while uptake of the second dose, given to children in Junior Infants, was just 87.5 per cent in the 2021/2022 period.

Measles is a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications, particularly in children under one year of age, pregnant women, and the immunosuppressed. The symptoms of measles include: 

1. Cold-like symptoms such as aches and pains, a runny nose, sneezing, and cough; 
2. Sore, red eyes that may be photosensitive; 
3. Pyrexia, which may reach around 40 degrees Celsius; 
4. Small greyish-white spots in the mouth; 
5. Loss of appetite; 
6. Tiredness, irritability, and a general lack of energy; 
7. Rash, which usually appears on the head and neck first and spreads to rest of the body. 

Serious complications of measles include pneumonia, encephalitis, and mortality. One-in-five cases are likely to require hospitalisation. 

Dr Jessop added: “The importance of taking precautions to protect both the individual and the community from measles cannot be understated. While measles is preventable through vaccination, the virus spreads very quickly between people who are not vaccinated and can have severe consequences, particularly for babies and vulnerable groups.”