Glasgow Measles outbreak prompts rise in vaccine clinics
The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is urging people to ensure they are fully vaccinated against the disease after several recent cases were confirmed in the Govanhill area.
Additional drop-in vaccination clinics have been created to prevent further spread of the virus.
Read more: Glasgow mum tells of son's measles vaccination experience
Measles is a highly infectious disease that can quickly spread among people who have not received both doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The virus can lead to serious illness and long-term complications and can often lead to hospitalisation.
Symptoms most commonly appear 10–12 days after initial exposure, including high temperature, a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, coughing, and sore, watery eyes.
Small white spots may appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips after a few days, followed by a rash that typically starts on the face or behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
The rash may appear brown or red on lighter skin and can be harder to detect on darker skin tones.
Helen Benson, consultant in public health at NHSGGC, said: "Measles is preventable with two doses of the MMR vaccine.
"We are offering weekly drop-in clinics for both adults and children and would encourage anyone who has missed one or both doses, to come along.
"The vaccine is free, completely safe, and this is a great opportunity to catch up with any doses you may have missed to protect yourself and your family.
"Interpreters are available, and we welcome anyone who needs extra support.
"If you're unsure at all, you're welcome to pop-in for a chat with our immunisation team who will happily answer any questions that you may have too."
NHSGGC MMR drop-in vaccination clinics will be available for adults at the community wing in the Shields Medical Practice on Tuesday June 10 from 9am to 3.30pm.
Read more: People report 'summer flu is here' as bouts of illness sweeps through UK
Vaccinations will also be available at Govanhill Health Centre Every Tuesday evening from June 17 to September 23 from 5pm to 7pm, and Govanhill Health Centre.
The centre will also offer Saturday clinics from 10am to 4pm on June 28, July 26, August 23, and September 20.
Children aged 12 months to 6 years will be able to attend drop-ins at Govanhill Clinic every Tuesday from 9:00am – 10:45am, 11:20am – 1:05pm, and 2:00pm – 3:30pm.
If you are unsure of your MMR vaccination status or would like to find out about how to catch up with any missed MMR doses in your area, you can visit the NHS Inform page on MMR vaccination for further information.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Gastroenteritis red flags after Real Madrid ace Mbappe misses game
The Real Madrid star missed the opening Club World Cup match as he was admitted to hospital earlier this week Kylian Mbappe was hospitalised earlier this week with an 'acute case' of gastroenteritis, forcing him to miss Real Madrid's opening match in the Club World Cup on Wednesday. He has since been discharged to continue his recovery at his team's training base in America. Gastroenteritis is a very common condition usually caused by bacteria according to the NHS. It's especially common in children but can affect anyone of any age and while it usually clears up on its own, it can sometimes require hospitalisation or professional medical help. Key symptoms indicating this illness include: Sudden, watery diarrhoea Feeling sick Vomiting A mild fever Some people might also experience other issues like a loss of appetite, pain and stomach cramps or aches in their limbs and head. Symptoms will usually arise shortly after becoming infected and may last for a week or more. NHS Inform advises: 'If you experience sudden diarrhoea and vomiting, the best thing to do is stay at home until you're feeling better. There's not always a specific treatment, so you have to let the illness run its course. 'You don't usually need to get medical advice, unless your symptoms don't improve or there's a risk of a more serious problem.' Severe dehydration is a possible consequence of gastroenteritis, and this can be lethal if not treated. Symptoms of severe dehydration include not being able to pee, or only passing small amounts of urine, and persistent dizziness. If you or your child experience severe dehydration symptoms or the following issues with gastroenteritis, the NHS recommends calling 111 and getting medical help: Bloody diarrhoea Vomiting constantly, to the point where you can't keep fluids down A high fever Symptoms don't improve over a few days You have underlying conditions like kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease or a weak immune system If you do fall ill with gastroenteritis, it's best to stay home and avoid places like work, school and hospitals as it is contagious. People can become ill due to close contact with someone with gastroenteritis, touching contaminated surfaces or objects or eating contaminated food, for example if an ill person doesn't wash their hands before cooking. The NHS noted: 'A person with gastroenteritis is most infectious from when their symptoms start until 48 hours after all their symptoms have passed, although they may also be infectious for a short time before and after this.'
Telegraph
21 hours ago
- Telegraph
Glastonbury 2025 ‘could be a superspreader event' – here's how to protect yourself
If you – or your children – are heading off to Glastonbury next week, there's an increasing risk you'll come home with more than just muddy wellies and a hangover. Infectious diseases are always rife at festivals, but as 200,000 people prepare to descend on Worthy Farm in Somerset, this year there's an unholy alliance of risk factors – and of catching one nasty disease in particular. 'We could be seeing a superspreader event, along the lines of Boardmasters in 2021,' says Dr Chris Smith, a consultant virologist and lecturer at Queens' College, Cambridge. 'It's exactly the same recipe: a mass gathering – and a susceptible demographic.' Four years ago, the virus was Covid, but this year, festival-goers run the risk of contracting measles – far more infectious than coronavirus, and with a higher chance of causing serious illness. Measles is also potentially more fatal. First things first: any old hippies going to Glastonbury need not worry so much. Dr Dana Parr is a GP at the Bath Clinic in Somerset – down the road from the festival. 'People born before 1957 are deemed to have natural immunity,' she says. 'From 1968, there was a very effective single vaccine, then after 1988, the combined MMR.' Those vaccinated between 1957 and 1968 received a less effective version, so may need a booster shot (your immunity can be determined by a blood test). The generation most at risk of measles According to Dr Smith, the MMR generation now in their 20s – and the most likely to go to Glastonbury – are the ones at specific risk. 'These are exactly the demographic coming downstream from the Andrew Wakefield scandal,' he says. Dr Smith is referring to the 1998 paper published in The Lancet journal in which the now-disgraced Wakefield implied a link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and a 'new syndrome' of autism and bowel disease. The paper was later roundly discredited and Wakefield struck off – but the damage had been done, and thousands of parents in the late 1990s and early 2000s refused to get their babies vaccinated. One in five children in England is estimated to have missed out on their MMR jabs – in some areas, it's one in four. The 'anti-vaxx' movement is still thriving. According to Dr Smith, for the measles vaccine to be effective, 95 per cent of the country needs to have had it. 'Measles is the most infectious virus of all,' he says. 'You remember when we talked about the 'R' (or reproduction) number during Covid? Covid has an 'R' number of three, flu's is two – and measles' is around 22.' Imagine, then, how much more infectious it must be at a crowded arena such as Glastonbury. 'People squashed together, their faces in each other's faces, yelling in one another's ear to be heard against the music, wiping spit off their cheeks – it's a minefield,' says Dr Smith, who is 50. 'Personally, I can't stand the idea of a festival – I can't imagine anything worse,' he says. 'My kids went to Boardmasters and it sounded like hell on earth.' The health risks of measles 'Measles is a respiratory illness: those little sprays of droplets are little bubbles of virus, and you are breathing them in,' says Dr Smith. And while we may think of measles as nothing more than a nasty rash, Dr Smith is keen to set the record straight. 'Measles still kills 150,000 people a year, mostly in Asia and India,' he says. 'The mortality rate has come down by 90 per cent, thanks to vaccination, but even in countries like the UK, it can be fatal.' There was one measles-related death in the UK in 2024. 'The overriding symptom of measles is misery,' says Dr Smith. 'The respiratory infection can turn into pneumonia. Then it affects every single tissue in your body – rash is a sign of that. You can get conjunctivitis, gastric symptoms and even encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Measles is no laughing matter: someone I know lost a twin sister to the disease.' Since the start of the year, 420 cases of the virus have been recorded in England, though officials say this is likely to be an underestimate. Two thirds of cases have been in children under 10 – the majority of whom were unvaccinated. 'We are seeing young adults and older adults catching measles,' says Dr Parr. 'It's not just a childhood disease.' How can I stop myself catching measles at Glastonbury? 'Either you wear an FFP protective mask and goggles, or you wear this preventative clothing called a vaccine. Otherwise, there is very little you can do to avoid infection. It would be like going into a building that's on fire and hoping not to get burnt,' says Dr Smith. Even if you haven't had your MMR vaccine, it's not too late. The vaccine – which offers lifelong protection – consists of two doses: the first is normally given when a child turns one year old, and then again at three years and four months (the age at which the second jab is administered is coming down to 18 months from July 1). However, the MMR vaccine can be given to a person at any age. 'The MMR takes three weeks to reach full immunity, but even if you are now exposed to measles, it attenuates serious infection, and reduces the chances of severe symptoms,' says Dr Smith. 'A significant proportion of people only had their first doses first time around and there was a lower uptake of the second – so if that's you, get a booster. Ask your GP now.' Dr Parr says that you can check your MMR status on the NHS app. What other infectious diseases are prevalent at festivals? Enteroviruses, such as colds, as well as flu These are spread in a similar way to measles, says Dr Parr. 'But there isn't much flu circulating at the moment: it's still minor, so unlikely to be a major concern this year,' she says. Food poisoning, such as norovirus and e-coli E-coli is a serious bacterial infection that can lead to renal failure. 'In 1999, there was an outbreak of e-coli at Glastonbury which came from infected mud (the infection originally came from cows),' she says. Be vigilant washing your hands and rinse fresh food. Norovirus – which causes diarrhoea and vomiting – also spreads in a festival setting. 'This comes from faecal-oral transmission, basically, people not washing their hands properly and then touching their eyes or mouth,' says Dr Parr. 'Make sure you look after your personal hygiene.' Whooping cough ' There's been a huge increase in this, and kids have died,' says Dr Smith. 'This is again due to low uptake of the vaccine, and a lack of immunity in the rest of the population.' The vaccine isn't normally recommended for adults unless they are pregnant, or with young children. Aside from a vaccine, wash your hands regularly and make sure people cover their mouths when they cough. Covid Covid is still doing the rounds. 'I saw two new cases in my clinic today,' says Dr Smith. ' There's a new variant going around but we don't know much about it because the government has turned off the sequencing.' Traditional Covid measures apply though more challenging to implement at a festival: wash your hands regularly and keep your distance. STIs such as chlamydia, genital warts and gonorrhoea 'We see a spike in these after festivals – or at least, people are worried about having been exposed to them,' says Dr Parr. 'In this free-spirited party atmosphere, people's barriers are lower.' Always have safe sex, using a condom.
STV News
4 days ago
- STV News
Genetic testing study 'could help personalise treatments for patients'
A new study aims to show how genetic testing could help personalise treatments by boosting medication response and reducing harmful side effects. The landmark trial will recruit up to 4,000 patients over the next two years in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, to investigate how an individual's genetic profile affects their response to 60 common medications. It is hoped the Phoenix Study will to lead to wider implementation of genetic testing across Scotland, making 'precision medicine' routine, for the first time. Researchers hope it will pave the way for tailored prescribing across cardiology, stroke, surgery, orthopaedics, geriatrics, gynaecology, ENT, rheumatology, respiratory, neurology, psychiatry and other specialities. The trial will take place at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow. Pharmacogenomics (PGx) – the study of how genes influence individual responses to drugs – has not been routinely used in clinical practice in the UK, amid hopes evidence will lead to change. Genetic test results will be sent to clinicians, allowing for treatment decisions to be adjusted, and patients will be followed up regularly to monitor the effects of any changes, to ensure they receive the highest standard of care. Patients will undergo a simple genetic test to analyse their DNA and the results, returned within days, will help doctors determine whether each patient is receiving the most suitable drug and dosage based on their genetic make-up. Around 15% are expected to carry genetic variants that may reduce the effectiveness of a medication or increase the risk of side-effects. In some cases, the prescribed drug may be ineffective, or a different dosage may be needed. The trial is open to adult in-patients in the QEUH and patients will be randomly assigned to either receive the pharmacogenomic test immediately, or at three months, which will allow the researchers to establish evidence of benefit. Without prior testing, these issues can go unnoticed, often leading to a trial-and-error approach to treatment, according to researchers. It is led by Sandosh Padmanabhan, Pontecorvo chair of Pharmacogenomics at the University of Glasgow, in partnership with the University of Glasgow's Living Laboratory, the NHSGGC-hosted West of Scotland Innovation Hub, and industry partners MyDNA and Agena Bioscience. Patient Eric Balish was asked to take part by consultants, after having a heart attack and subsequent surgery. He was immediately prescribed clopidogrel, one of the 60 drugs included in the study, but has since had his medication changed a number of times. Mr Balish said: 'I knew a bit about personalised medicine previously, and so when I was asked to take part in the Phoenix Study I was happy to do it. 'If you're asked to participate and support long-term research like this, then it's no great hardship to give something back and just do the right thing. I am hopeful my information can be of use to the trial and in the future.' Prof Padmanabhan, a consultant at the QEUH, said: 'Physicians and pharmacists increasingly recognise that PGx-informed prescribing and dispensing improves both the efficacy and safety of drug treatment. 'The primary goal of this trial is to evaluate the clinical and health-economic impact of PGx-guided prescribing. 'Specifically, we want to determine if a PGx-guided approach to prescribing can significantly reduce the incidence and severity of drug related side-effects and/or treatment failures. 'This evaluation will compare the outcomes of participants who receive PGx-guided medication management to those receiving standard care.' Dr Katriona Brooksbank, research and innovation lead for NHSGGC and the West of Scotland Innovation Hub, said: 'We are incredibly excited to be supporting this trial, which could have a major impact on the treatments patients are prescribed based on their own genetics. 'It will put precision medicine into action as researchers look to determine how a person's own genetic make-up can affect the drugs they are given as treatments. 'This could allow clinicians to reduce adverse reactions and side effects, ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients.' Allan Sheffield, co-founder of MyDNA, said: 'For MyDNA, the Phoenix Study embodies the future of healthcare. 'Our unique combination of pharmacogenomic clinical decision support and in-house Gene by Gene accredited testing empowers clinicians to move beyond guesswork. 'This trial will demonstrate the profound impact of precision medicine, paving the way for a future where this approach routinely drives better patient outcomes.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
