Now’s a good time to check your child’s protection against measles

NHS Western Isles is reminding parents that cases of measles are on the rise. With the summer break just around the corner and the term nearing an end, parents are being urged to check if their child is fully vaccinated against measles. 

Colum Durkan, NHS Western Isles Director of Public Health, said “The MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine is offered free by NHS Scotland and is over 95% effective in protecting against measles. Measles can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications. This is why it’s important to check your child has had two doses of the MMR vaccine."

For pupils joining nursery or about to start school in August, an infectious disease such as measles can spread easily in school-settings, especially when pupils are mixing with lots of new children.

Measles can also spread easily for pupils transitioning from primary to secondary school in August, or who are moving school at any other time.

In addition, measles can spread easily for those pupils who are planning on going to university or college, when they’ll be mixing with lots of new students.

If your family is looking to holiday off-island this summer, it’s important that your child is vaccinated as cases of measles in some other parts of the UK and abroad are higher than they are in Scotland.

Children should have had doses when they were a baby and before they started primary school, but it’s never too late to catch up if they missed a dose.  To find out how to check if your child is fully protected visit nhsinform.scot/MMRagainstmeasles

It’s also important to check that your child has received all vaccines they’re eligible for before they leave school, especially if they’re going to college or university. The MenACWY vaccine helps protects against meningitis and the HPV vaccine protects against cancers caused by HPV (Human papillomavirus).  Both of these vaccines would have been offered to your child from S1/S3, but it’s not too late to catch up if they missed out.  Visit www.nhsinform.scot/chatsignprotect for further information.