Story of the Outbreak

Between November 2012 and June 2013 the Swansea area in South Wales in the United Kingdom experienced a large outbreak of measles(>1100 notifications />500 laboratory confirmed cases, over 80 hospitalized, 1 death investigated by the coroner). No cases had been laboratory confirmed for a period of over two years prior to this outbreak. The first three cases were imported independently from an outbreak of measles in a holiday camp in the South West of England. Early outbreak management consisted of identifying vulnerable contacts, exclusion advice and special vaccination sessions in schools with evidence of measles transmission. Partially or unvaccinated members of the public were encouraged to catch up with MMR vaccination through primary care practitioners.

A Senior Response Team was formed in week 16 to co-ordinate and strengthen the outbreak response and co-operation with partner organizations. Despite these efforts, after week 17 of the outbreak a dramatic rise in case numbers occurred, with case notifications reaching 127/week in week 23 of the outbreak (population approx 380,000).

A measles response centre was established to sustain individual risk management of vulnerable contacts for 4 weeks at the height of the outbreak, this was stood down as case numbers had started to drop by week 27. The outbreak was significantly shortened by an integrated approach of vaccination in under-vaccinated target groups assisted by a high profile media campaign and sustenance of individual exclusion advice throughout the outbreak.