The measles outbreak may be officially over, but Hywel Dda Health Board is reminding communities there is always a risk of catching measles, mumps or rubella if people have not received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

Over the last four to five months, following the rise in the number of cases in the Swansea area, the response to calls to catch up on missed doses has resulted in more than 7,500 doses given across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

These non-routine MMR doses have been administered in a variety of ways, including GP surgeries, school vaccination sessions, MMR drop-in clinics and occupational health departments.

Teresa Owen, Director of Public Health at Hywel Dda Health Board said: “We’d like to thank every person who has taken the time to make sure they or their loved ones are protected by the MMR vaccine. I’d also like to thank every member of staff and our community colleagues for their hard work and effort over the last few months.

“The challenge now is to ensure uptake of the MMR remains high so we don’t find ourselves in the same predicament a few years down the line.

“We’re pleased to report that GP practices are still delivering higher numbers of MMR vaccine compared to last year. We hope that this is a sign that people realise these diseases, which we may think are in the past, can still affect us today. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect themselves and the community if we are to prevent another outbreak in future.”

To learn more about the MMR vaccine visit www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/Encyclopaedia/m/article/mmr.