As hundreds of thousands of festival-goers get ready to head to Glastonbury later this month, worries over possible measles outbreaks have been raised by experts
Health experts have warned that Glastonbury could be a super-spreader event for measles as outbreaks continue across the UK. This year’s festival is being held from June 25th-June 29th at Worthy Farm, Somerset, and the headline acts will be Neil Young, The 1975, and Olivia Rodrigo.
The event’s capacity is 210,000 people, which has sparked concern over a possible outbreak of infections this year. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said: “It’s festival season. Don’t let #Measles be part of your festival line up.”
It urged festival-goers on social media to get two doses of the MMR vaccine to protect against the illness. The post added: “If you’ve missed yours, you can catch up through your GP surgery.”
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, told MailOnline that Glastonbury could worsen the outbreak. He said: “Given the currently high numbers of measles cases in the UK, particularly in the South West and London, and reduced uptake of the MMR vaccine, gatherings at festivals like Glastonbury are a perfect place for measles to spread.”
Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, a runny nose, or a cough. It is then followed by a rash a few days later, and some people may also get small spots in their mouth, the NHS explains.
The infection is spread by someone breathing, coughing, or sneezing, and you’re infectious from when you first have symptoms until four days after you get the rash.
Measles can also lead to serious problems like pneumonia, meningitis, seizures, and blindness. Babies and people with weakened immune systems are more at risk of developing these complications.
Dr Alasdair Wood, a consultant at UKHSA South West, told ITV: “We want festival-goers to enjoy their time at Glastonbury and other festivals this year. Being aware of the current health risks will help those attending enjoy their time as much as possible.”
He added that with cases circulating across the country, “festivals are the perfect place for measles to spread”. Earlier this month, the UKHSA announced that measles outbreaks were continuing across the country. There were 109 confirmed cases in April and 86 so far in May – and the UKHSA said it was concerned that more outbreaks could occur on a larger scale this summer.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, a consultant epidemiologist at the department, said: “It’s essential that everyone, particularly parents of young children, check all family members are up to date with 2 MMR doses, especially if you are travelling this summer for holidays or visiting family.”
She added that measles “spreads very easily and can be a nasty disease, leading to complications like ear and chest infections and inflammation of the brain”. Dr Sailba warned that in some cases, children can end up in hospital and suffer life-long consequences.
The MMR vaccine is administered over two doses, and about 99% of people with the two doses will be protected. It is never too late to catch-up if you missed the vaccine as a child, the government advises, and anyone who has not had the two doses can contact their GP to book an appointment.
Dr Amanda Doyle, the national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: “Too many babies and young children are still not protected against the diseases, which are contagious infections that spread very easily and can cause serious health problems.”
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