HSE issues urgent holiday warning as highly infectious virus spreads across Europe
The HSE has issued a critical warning to Irish holidaymakers in light of a surge in outbreaks of a highly contagious virus across several popular tourist spots.Health officials in Ireland have reported "ongoing cases and recent outbreaks of measles" throughout Europe, including ski resorts. This alert is particularly timely given the impending influx of international visitors for large scale winter sporting events in northern Italy, such as the Winter Olympics and the subsequent Paralympic Games, reports the Irish Mirror.In a travel advisory released last week, the HSE encouraged those planning to travel abroad to familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of measles and to ensure their MMR vaccinations are up to date. The HSE expressed particular concern about vaccination rates falling short of targets. A spokesperson stated: "Measles is a viral infection which can result in serious complications. It is highly infectious and can spread easily.""Latest data from Quarter 2, 2025 show that MMR uptake among children aged 24 months is 87.6%, which remains below the WHO target of 95% needed to prevent outbreaks. As measles is one of the most infectious diseases, case numbers can increase quickly when vaccination coverage falls below this protective threshold. Maintaining high uptake is essential to safeguarding population health."The HSE is strongly advising anyone uncertain about their vaccination status to get in touch with their GP. It stated: "The best way to protect yourself and those around you against measles and to prevent the spread of measles in Ireland is to ensure you and your family members are vaccinated against measles."MMR vaccine is offered to all children in Ireland as part of the Primary Childhood and Schools Immunisation Programmes. Children are offered two doses of MMR vaccine at 12 months of age (MMR1) and in junior infants in primary school (MMR2)."If you think you or your child are not up to date with MMR vaccines, vaccination can be arranged with your GP. MMR vaccine is available free of charge for individuals who are not age-appropriately vaccinated. In addition, infants aged 6 months to <12 months are eligible to receive an MMR vaccine, free of charge at their GP, prior to travel abroad. It is recommended that you receive this MMR vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel."If you live in Sligo, Leitrim or Donegal, MMR2 dose is given to children when they are aged 4-5 years by the GP." Health authorities are calling on the public to recognise the symptoms of measles, which begin with cold-like signs approximately 10 days following infection. The initial symptoms are:cold like symptoms such as aches and pains, a runny nose, sneezing and a coughsore, red eyes that may be sensitive to lighta temperature of 38C or above (fever)small grey-white spots in your mouthloss of appetitetiredness, irritability and a general lack of energyA measles rash typically appears a few days after the initial symptoms. The rash usually manifests two to four days post the onset of your first symptoms and tends to fade after about a week. It generally begins on your head or neck before spreading to the rest of your body.The rash can either be flat or slightly raised, often merging into large blotchy patches. On white skin, it appears brown or red. However, it might be less noticeable on brown and black skin. Some people may find the rash mildly itchy.You're likely to feel most unwell on the first or second day following the appearance of the rash. Some individuals may also notice small grey-white spots in their mouth. Not everyone with measles will have these spots.These spots typically appear before the measles rash. If you exhibit these spots along with other symptoms or a rash, it's highly probable that you have measles. These spots usually persist for a few days.The HSE advised: "If you think someone in your family has measles or has been in contact with measles, phone your doctor for advice. Keep the child or adult at home and avoid having visitors to your home unless they know they are protected against measles (they have had two doses of MMR vaccine)."Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content.We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
