London could see a measles outbreak with tens of thousands of cases because of low levels of vaccination, health chiefs have warned.
Estimates show between 40,000 and 160,000 cases could occur in the capital unless vaccination rates improve, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The risk in London is thought to be because of low vaccination rates over several years, further worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The UKHSA said there had been 128 cases of measles between January and June 2023, compared with 54 cases across 2022 – with 66% of cases detected in London.
Parents are being urged to check their children are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella vaccines (MMR) or call their GP practice if unsure.
Those going abroad for summer holidays are also being asked to catch up on any missed vaccinations.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, UKHSA consultant epidemiologist, said: “Measles can be a serious infection that can lead to complications, especially in young children and those with weakened immune systems.
“Due to longstanding suboptimal vaccine uptake there is now a very real risk of seeing big outbreaks in London.”
She added: “Nobody wants to see their child or loved ones sick with measles, or put others who are more vulnerable, like babies, at risk.
“I urge those who have missed their MMR vaccines to catch up now.”
The UKHSA said that young people aged 19 to 25 are likely to be most susceptible to the outbreak as they may have been affected by unfounded stories in the early 2000s about the links between MMR jabs and autism.
The World Health Organisation estimates 95% of the population need to be vaccinated to prevent an outbreak.
But in England, around 85% of the population aged five and above is fully vaccinated.
Around 10% of children in the country are left unprotected from measles by the time they are ready to start school, with the rate in London at about 20%, the UKHSA said.
Measles is contagious but is easily preventable with vaccination, which comes in two doses.
Children in the UK can have a first dose of the MMR vaccine on or after their first birthday and the second dose by the time they are three-and-a-half years old.
Jane Clegg, regional chief nurse for the NHS in London, said: “Cases of measles in the capital remain low but it’s really important that people check that they, and their children, are up to date with their jabs and protected against MMR – and if you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with your GP practice or local pharmacist for advice.
“Now’s the time to act to protect yourself and loved ones from measles.”
Commenting on the warning, Dr David Elliman, consultant in community child health at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said the “announcement that London could experience a large outbreak is no surprise”.
He said: “Uptake of all routine vaccines in London has always been lower than most of the rest of the UK, as a whole, and within London are pockets of very low uptake.
“It is in these areas that the danger of outbreaks is greatest.”
He also said that as well as teenagers and young adults, infants under 12 months are also at the greatest risk of measles as they are not offered the MMR vaccine at that age.
Dr Elliman said: “About one in 1,000 to one in 3,000 people who contract measles will die.
“If UKHSA projections are correct, we could see dozens of deaths in London.
“This assumes that nothing changes.
“The intention is to take action to ensure that this does not happen.”
VANCOUVER – Mayors and other leaders from several British Columbia communities say the provincial and federal governments need to take “immediate action” to tackle mental health and public safety issues that have reached crisis levels.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says it’s become “abundantly clear” that mental health and addiction issues and public safety have caused crises that are “gripping” Vancouver, and he and other politicians, First Nations leaders and law enforcement officials are pleading for federal and provincial help.
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier David Eby, mayors say there are “three critical fronts” that require action including “mandatory care” for people with severe mental health and addiction issues.
The letter says senior governments also need to bring in “meaningful bail reform” for repeat offenders, and the federal government must improve policing at Metro Vancouver ports to stop illicit drugs from coming in and stolen vehicles from being exported.
Sim says the “current system” has failed British Columbians, and the number of people dealing with severe mental health and addiction issues due to lack of proper care has “reached a critical point.”
Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer says repeat violent offenders are too often released on bail due to a “revolving door of justice,” and a new approach is needed to deal with mentally ill people who “pose a serious and immediate danger to themselves and others.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
