HSE Issues Warning of Measles Outbreak Risk in Asylum Seeker Accommodation across Ireland

A risk assessment conducted by the Health Service Executive (HSE) has highlighted a significant risk of measles spreading in asylum seeker accommodation and direct provision centers across Ireland.

The assessment raised concerns about the suboptimal uptake of the measles vaccine nationwide, which could potentially lead to outbreaks of the highly transmissible disease.

According to a presentation from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), healthcare services are likely to face substantial pressure due to the high transmissibility of measles, especially in non-immune populations. The risk assessment identified counties Louth and Meath with vaccination rates below 80%, while counties Sligo, Leitrim, and Donegal reported uptake rates below 85%.

Notably, no local health office in the country has achieved the target of 95% uptake for the MMR vaccine, which provides protection against measles, mumps, and rubella. The presentation also highlighted a recent study indicating that over 10% of people aged 18 to 34 are “non-immune” to measles, with males aged 18 or 19 showing a non-immune rate of 17.9%.

The HSE expressed growing concern about the likelihood of measles outbreaks in Ireland, particularly due to travel between Ireland and the United Kingdom. Recently, passengers who traveled with Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to Dublin Airport were advised to monitor themselves for symptoms due to a confirmed measles case onboard. Higher-risk passengers, including pregnant women and the immunocompromised, were urged to seek medical advice.

Tragically, one person in the Midlands has already died from measles, with several other suspected and confirmed cases reported. The risk assessment stressed the suboptimal national immunization uptake and the significant proportion of non-immune individuals among the young population.

The assessment warned that settings such as direct provision centers and asylum seeker accommodations, where vaccination uptake is uncertain, pose a high risk of measles transmission. Outbreaks in non-immune populations could result in a burden of disease with morbidity and mortality.

To address the situation, the risk assessment emphasized the urgent need for rapid mobilization of measures, including campaigns to encourage immunization, to curtail measles transmission. The high probability of measles introduction and transmission in Ireland, coupled with its significant impact, underscores the urgent need for action to mitigate the risk of disease spread.

Additionally, the presentation illustrated a decline in vaccination rates in Ireland over the past decade, with the MMR vaccination rate dropping from 93.1% in 2014 to 89.2% in the second quarter of 2023. The assessment also highlighted measles outbreaks in various European countries, including France, Austria, and Romania, where a national epidemic was declared in December of the previous year, with fatalities reported, particularly among unvaccinated children.