Roscommon nurse concerned about the increase in cases of measles

A Roscommon nurse has urged young people to get vaccinated against measles following a recent spike in cases across the UK and Europe.

Laura Tully, who is attached to TUS Athlone highlighted the importance of awareness about measles, particularly following the recent death of an adult with the disease.

“It is a serious issue. Complacency can set in about illnesses and childhood illnesses but measles is potentially a very serious condition. It is highly infectious as it is spread by droplet infection,” she said. “It can pose a very serious threat to life and cause serious side effects. So we work to prevent those from happening. Vaccination is the only protection we have against the serious consequences of measles.” She said that vaccination offers the best protection against serious illness if exposed to measles. She added that fortunately there has been no cases among students “but we are on standby”.

“I think there is a high chance we will see cases. We are being very vigilant and creating an awareness campaign, because the onset of measles is typically like a normal virus – a fever, maybe a cough. It’s only in the days afterwards when a rash will develop. We need to be educating and creating awareness around this.” She said that if someone did develop symptoms they should stay at home and to phone their GP for advice.

“Among students there are a high percentage that are non-immune and we are working to try and ask people to check their vaccination status. We are hoping to hear from the HSE and the department of health about a catch up vaccination campaign. This would mean we would get these nonimmune people protected, should they choose to take the vaccine.” Ms Tully said that an outbreak of measles now would be severely challenging to the health service at the moment.

“So the work needs to start now with people checking their vaccine status, getting informed, and having a plan in place if the need arises if measles affects your family,” she said. “My own daughter had it. She contracted measles for her first birthday, she was due her first vaccine. We don’t know where she contracted the virus. It could have been as simple as touching a shopping trolley. She had a nasty dose but thankfully she recovered well. It is something I am extra vigilant about, having gone through it.” 

During a ministerial visit to the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Athlone, Laura, who is the Sexual Health Service Manager also stressed the importance of on-campus sexual healthcare, especially amid rising sexual transmitted infections (STI) rates among young people.

Minister of State for Public Health and Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Hildegarde Naughton visited the campus where she toured the pioneering student sexual health, contraception and health promotion service. Minister Naughton praised the initiative and expressed her support for it.

Introduced in 2021, TUS Athlone’s integrated nurse-led Student Sexual Health Service has garnered acclaim, including a prestigious HSE Excellence Award, for its innovative approach in providing timely and accessible care to students.

Operated on a self-referral basis, the service is cost-free and aims to remove barriers to access such as travel, time and stigma.

It offers confidential sexual health testing, treatment, advising, health education and health promotion programmes, access to contraception and a wide range of specialised sexual health services. Previously, students had to travel for up to an hour to receive treatment, and data indicated that 90 per cent of those referred to sexual health services were missing their appointments.

Minister Naughton’s visit coincided with SHAG (Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance) Week, a nationwide student-led campaign aimed at fostering conversations about consent and sexual health awareness among young people.

Ms Tully said that there had been a doubling in the rate of the diagnoses of some STI notifications between 2022 and 2023, and this increase needed to be addressed urgently.

“Our on-campus service plays a vital role in providing students with easy access to high-quality sexual healthcare and age-appropriate advice,” she said. “By removing barriers like travel time, stigma and fear of absenteeism from class, we ensure students can prioritise their well-being and therefore their academic success.”