Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that is spread by close contact with an infected person and causes fever, cough and rash. It can also cause ear infections, pneumonia and even death.

Vaccination with MMR vaccine is the only way to protect against measles. In Ireland the first MMR dose is given by GPs at 12 months of age, and the second dose at 4-5 years of age is usually given at school by HSE vaccination teams.

In Ireland 278 cases of measles have been reported since January 2011- many of these occurred during an outbreak in Dublin, primarily in North Dublin City. 

In 2011 measles cases were reported in many European countries with more than 30,000 cases and eight deaths in 29 European countries. Many cases of measles resulted from infected people travelling between countries.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) publish reports on the numbers of measles cases and maps showing where they have occurred.

These are available at http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/measles/Pages/index.aspx