The GGD in the Eindhoven region will vaccinate children from six months at one particular daycare centre. That’s earlier than before. Recently, 43 people in the region have contracted measles.
Until now, only children aged fourteen months and older have been vaccinated. Older children at the same daycare centre who have not yet had an MMR* injection will also be given the opportunity to take one. For privacy reasons, the specific daycare centre is not disclosed.
According to the GGD, in this specific situation the advantages of early protection outweigh the disadvantages of slightly less good protection in the longer term.
Number of infections is increasing
The number of infections in the region is increasing. There are no seriously ill people, says GGD doctor Ronald ter Schegget: “We are in contact with parents and all children have recovered well.”
Until now, the GGD has maintained the limit of fourteen months because children are then optimally protected against the virus for as long as possible. Children from the age of fourteen months are invited for the measles vaccination. This concerns the MMR vaccination (mumps, measles and rubella).
Spread
In some people, measles can lead to meningitis or pneumonia. In this case, the GGD chooses to vaccinate earlier. “In this case, we think that the chance of further spread is high. That is why we are making this choice,” said the GGD doctor.
The number of infections in Europe already increased last year. There were many reports of measles, especially in Eastern Europe, in the autumn of last year. The RIVM8 therefore believes there is a good chance that more people in the Netherlands will become infected with the measles virus in the coming weeks. However, according to the authority, there is no outbreak. “We are dealing with a so-called cluster, a group of infected people. We know the source and so far they all come from that same cluster.”
Source: Studio040
*MMR Mumps, measles and rubella
*National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
