Galway students warned about measles outbreak

The Department of Public Health has been notified of two confirmed cases of measles in students at NUI Galway. Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious complications particularly for children. Any student who has not had two doses of MMR vaccine should be vaccinated as soon as possible; students should establish with their families if they are fully vaccinated and protected.

Dr. Diarmuid O’Donovan, Public Health Director for Galway, Mayo and Roscommon said, “The only way to prevent measles is by vaccination and it is essential that non-vaccinated students ensure that they get fully vaccinated immediately.'

Dr Donovan says the Public Health Department is working closely with NUI Galway to provide advice and assistance in dealing with this outbreak and if necessary it will provide on site clinics should the numbers requiring vaccination be significant. He stressed that hand washing is really important in controlling the spread of infectious diseases.

 

The key symptoms to watch out for are:

• a skin rash
• high temperature
• cough
• runny nose
• red or watery eyes

Health officials are stressing that students who are ill should not attend university until four days after the rash appears and students who are feeling unwell should phone their GP before attending a clinic.

Unvaccinated housemates of cases of measles will need to stay at home for a number of days depending on when they were exposed. This is to avoid transmitting measles to others.