The Health Service Executive has issued a health warning to passengers who travelled on a bus from Dublin Airport to Clonmel, Co Tipperary, on Saturday following the discovery that a passenger on board had measles.
The alert lates to people who travelled on JJ Kavanagh bus number 717 that departed the airport at 4pm.
“For any passenger on this bus journey who is a pregnant woman, immunocompromised, or under the age of 12 months old, please immediately contact your GP or hospital clinician for advice,” the HSE said. “This is because immediate treatment may be beneficial.”
Signs and symptoms of measles include cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and a cough.
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Other symptoms include sore red eyes, a temperature of 38 degrees or above, and a rash, which usually appears on the head and neck first before spreading to the rest of the body.
The HSE said passengers who were on the bus should watch out for these symptoms over the next three weeks, and if observed, they should isolate at home and seek healthcare advice.
It said passengers should phone ahead prior to attending any healthcare setting to let them know that they have these symptoms and were exposed to measles, so they can make necessary arrangements.
“Anyone with further travel arrangements should not travel if they are experiencing the above symptoms but should seek medical advice,” it said. “Those who have previously had two MMR vaccinations or measles in the past are well protected against measles infection.
“The best way to protect yourself and those around you against measles is with two MMR vaccinations. This can be arranged with your GP.”
There have been 13 outbreaks of measles this year in Ireland, with up to 12 people infected in the worst outbreak.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef warned in May that measles cases across Europe continue to surge, with the number of cases recorded for this year soon to exceed the total number of cases reported throughout last year.
Some 56,634 measles cases and four deaths were officially reported across 45 out of 53 countries in the WHO European region during the first three months of 2024. Throughout 2023, 61,070 cases and 13 deaths were reported by 41 countries.
Measles can cause serious complications, especially in children under the age of one, pregnant people and immunosuppressed people.
Earlier this year, the HSE started the roll-out of a catch-up programme for the measles MMR vaccine across the country, in a bid to stem the increasing number of cases.
The programme seeks to deliver the MMR vaccine to those who may have missed it in the past and will include children, young adults and healthcare workers.
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