Rising cases of Measles affecting Gypsy and Traveller communities

Measles is on the rise and there have been some positive cases in the Roma, Gypsy and Traveller community recently, Hertfordshire County Council, Public Health has warned.

It is understood that the rise may be occurring all over the UK.

Josie O’Driscoll, CEO of GATE Herts, said that many Gypsies and Travellers are sometimes reluctant to get their children vaccinated against Measles.

“Gypsies and Travellers face obstacles accessing consistent healthcare services due to their nomadic lifestyle, distrust of mainstream healthcare systems, and experiences of discrimination,” said Josie O’Driscoll.

“Targeted strategies are needed to address these specific barriers to enhance vaccine uptake, reduce health disparities and improve overall health outcomes, especially for children. Immunisation helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases within our communities,” she added.

Measles is an infection that spreads easily between groups of people and in families. It can cause serious illness and in rare cases it can lead to death.

Spending 15 minutes with someone with measles is enough to get the virus.

Babies and young children, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity are most at risk.

“Vaccinated children are less likely to contract and spread diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella, bringing peace of mind to parents,” says Josie O’Driscoll, adding that this would contribute to better overall health outcomes for her communities.

“If you have concerns about vaccines, seek information from reputable sources and discuss them with your healthcare provider. By ensuring that Gypsy and Traveller children receive timely vaccinations, public health systems can protect vulnerable people and promote health equity.”

To prevent measles and protect yourself and your family you need to have two doses of the MMR (measles mumps and rubella) vaccination. The MMR vaccine is free on the NHS and is safe.

It is very important to get vaccinated. If you or your children have missed a vaccine, please contact your GP surgery to arrange an appointment, it is never too late to catch up.

The Symptoms of measles are:

• high fever
• sore, red, watery eyes
• cough
• aching
• feeling generally unwell
• a blotchy red brown rash

For more information, visit www.nhs.uk/measles

Herts County Council Public Health press release, additional reporting and picture search by TT News

(Lead image: An artist’s impression of a measles virus By David Goodsell commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80364366)