1:17pm Monday 28th April 2008
Parents in the Kerrier district are being warned about the dangers of measles following an outbreak of the infection at St John's School in Camborne.
Over the last two weeks, two schoolchildren aged six and seven have been confirmed with the illness, with another eight local children suspected of having picked up the infection.
All affected children are at home and recovering well from the infection. The school has worked hard to keep all parents informed since the outbreak was confirmed.
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Health Protection Team have been working closely with the school since confirmation of the first case last week.
Information letters with factsheets have been sent to all parents, informing them of the outbreak, symptoms of measles and advising that any children who have not had the MMR jab, should be immunised as soon as possible.
Anyone wanting to check their child's immunisation history or book an appointment for immunisation should contact their GP surgery. GPs in the area have also been asked to look out for children with the symptoms of measles which include a fever, cough, red and painful eyes, swollen glands, loss of appetite and a rash that tends to follow three to four days after onset of the other symptoms.
Felicity Owen, director of public health for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: "Measles is a very infectious bug. With the large number of cases in and around London, it's really only been a matter of time before Cornwall had an outbreak of measles. Now that it has arrived, we've got the chance to act quickly to minimise the spread of this infection.
"I'd appeal to any parents who have not yet had their children vaccinated to get them protected as soon as possible. I give this advice as a health professional and as a parent because I have had to ensure the same protection for my daughter.
"MMR doesn't only protect children; it also limits the chances of the virus spreading more widely, for example to children who are too young to have the vaccine."
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