Don’t forget your holiday MMR vaccination (From Daily Echo)

Don’t forget your holiday MMR vaccination

6:00am Tuesday 21st August 2012 in News

HAMPSHIRE holidaymakers jetting off abroad are being urged to protect themselves against measles this summer.

Health bosses across the county are appealing for people to ensure they are fully immunised against measles, mumps and rubella in good time before flying abroad.

It comes as the Department of Health released figures showing a recent spike in measles across the UK and an outbreak of the illness across Eastern Europe.

Dr Andrew Mortimore, on behalf of the Southampton , Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth Primary Care Trust Cluster Directors of Public Health, said: “If you’ve never had a vaccination against MMR and are travelling abroad this summer, you should contact your GP as early as possible.

“For best immunity, two doses of the vaccine are required with an interval of at least four weeks between. If you are going on holiday very shortly and are not immunised, a single dose of MMR vaccine before you leave is better than none at all.”