Measles outbreak threat triggers plan for catch-up vaccinations for young adults
Plans are being made for an urgent catch-up vaccination programme for young adults against measles after the Health Service Executive warned the probability of an outbreak in Ireland was high.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will brief Cabinet on Tuesday that a significant increase of measles cases notified in Europe this winter, coupled with falling rates of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine uptake in Ireland, has raised concerns about wide transmission of the disease in Ireland in 2024.
One-fifth of the population in some counties have no protection against measles, due to low vaccination rates.
Top News Stories
- Secondary school places unavailable for some first-years amid enrolment crisis: Parents in part of Kildare, Wicklow, Dublin, Galway and Cork have been unable to secure first-year secondary school places in their local areas in advance of the coming academic year.
- Almost a quarter of six year olds have their own smartphone, CyberSafeKids finds: More than half of parents do not feel confident about keeping their children safe online, though over 80 per cent feel it is their responsibility, a study published on Tuesday finds.
- New legislation to allow gardaí seize digital and online evidence to be approved by Cabinet: Gardaí will be given new powers to seize online and digital evidence, often stored in the cloud, under proposed new legislation which will be considered by the Cabinet on Tuesday.
- Michelin awards 2024: A new two star for Ireland and three additional one stars: It was a triumphant win for Vincent Crepel as he landed two Michelin stars for Terre restaurant at Castlemartyr Resort in Cork at the 2024 awards ceremony in Manchester on Monday. Also sharing the glory in a nationwide sprinkling of stars were D’Olier Street in Dublin, The Bishop’s Buttery at Cashel Palace Hotel in Cashel and Homestead Cottage in Doolin, which all landed one Michelin star.
- Check out today's Most Read stories
- Join The Irish Times WhatsApp channel for breaking news straight to your phone.
News from around the World
- Senegal parliament delays elections until December after opposition showdown: Senegal’s parliament voted late Monday to delay elections until December, after opposition politicians seeking to block the vote were thrown out of the National Assembly.
The Big Read
- ‘Not my crime, but still my time’: The families serving jail terms outside for loved ones: Like thousands of people whose loved ones are incarcerated in an Irish prison unit, Grace waits for a six-minute phone call every day, at the same time, since prison became part of her routine.
The best from Opinion
- Fintan O’Toole: Dee Forbes’s illness has implications that radiate far beyond Montrose
- Jane Stout: Best way to fight biodiversity loss is with a change of mindset
- A debate on the future of Dublin Airport: Should it be allowed to expand?
Today's Business
- Unclaimed tax refunds: How to get some of your tax back: Irish taxpayers are leaving some €683 million on the table, or almost €300 each, by not filing income tax returns, and claiming all the credits they are due, new figures show.
Top Sports news
- Owen Doyle: World Rugby’s officials start on the front foot after strong opening round: About 800km away, almost precisely due north of Marseille, lies the cathedral city of Reims, probably better known as the capital of the world’s most famous sparkling wine region. The distance between the two cities roughly represents the size of the gulf between the two teams on Friday, with the French failing to uncork the champagne rugby which many of us had feared would make it a long night.
Picture of the Day
Video & Podcast Highlights
Why not try one of our Crosswords & Puzzles?
Like this?
Get the best content direct to your inbox by signing up to one of our newsletters