Tag: vaccination

8 Comments

Scotland’s measles risk does not come from its own tiny ethnic minority groups but from ‘imported cases’

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland, only, has an investigation today into the lower vaccine uptake among ethnic minority groups. The report has percentage and vulgar fraction descriptions of the shortfall but no actual figures so we cannot see just how many children are unvaccinated so we cannot really see the scale of the problem. The BBC Scotland report opens with: Last year data on childhood vaccines was broken down by ethnicity for the first time. It showed a wide variation in uptake across ethnic minority groups and Public Health Scotland called for more work to understand what is going … Continue reading Scotland’s measles risk does not come from its own tiny ethnic minority groups but from ‘imported cases’

Leave a comment

More than 80% of measles infections linked to imported cases and rest of unknown origin as immunisation levels in Scotland climb again to herd immunity level

johnrobertson834

Quarterly uptake rates in Scotland have gradually declined over time. However, in the latest quarter ending September 2024, there have been small increases in levels of protection for children aged 12 and 24 months, compared with the previous quarter. https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/childhood-immunisation-statistics-scotland/childhood-immunisation-statistics-scotland-quarter-ending-30-september-2024/#:~:text=This%20release%20by%20Public%20Health%20Scotland%20%28PHS%29%20provides,the%20spread%20of%20disease%20in%20the%20wider%20population. Where have these cases come from? From Public Health Scotland on 4 March 2025: Immunisation and vaccine-preventable diseases quarterly report, October to December 2024 (Q4) There were 24 laboratory-confirmed measles cases reported in 2024: six cases in the first quarter, eight cases in the second quarter, five cases in the third quarter and five cases in the fourth quarter. Of … Continue reading More than 80% of measles infections linked to imported cases and rest of unknown origin as immunisation levels in Scotland climb again to herd immunity level

1 Comment

As vaccination levels fall in neighbouring UK and cases and adult measles deaths increase how Scotland’s crucial high vaccination rate gets no coverage

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian today: An adult who was infected with measles has died in New Mexico, state health officials announced Thursday, though the virus has not been confirmed as the cause of death. The person was from Lea county, just across the state line from the west Texas region where 159 measles cases have been identified and a school-age child died last week – the first US measles death in a decade. New Mexico health officials have not linked the outbreak there to the Texas cases. On Tuesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Continue reading As vaccination levels fall in neighbouring UK and cases and adult measles deaths increase how Scotland’s crucial high vaccination rate gets no coverage

1 Comment

Deadly measles being held at bay by NHS Scotland’s vaccination levels

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: There were 19 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in the first three quarters of 2024: six cases in the first quarter, eight cases in the second quarter, and five cases in the third quarter. Of these 19 cases, ten are thought to have been imported and related to travel outwith the UK, and one further (secondary) case was related to one of these imported cases. Of the remaining eight cases, three cases had history of recent travel in England and may have acquired measles there; the other five cases had no history … Continue reading Deadly measles being held at bay by NHS Scotland’s vaccination levels

Leave a comment

When America sneezes the world catches a cold – As vaccine deniers in England get a boost from the appointment of RF Kennedy, the risk to Scotland increases

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson, OBA From ABC News last week: Doctors worried RFK Jr. will tout vaccine-skeptic views after he is picked for HHS secretary The appointment of Robert F Kennedy (above) to the post of Health and Human Services Secretary gives a major boost to the hopes of vaccine deniers in the USA and inevitably to those in the UK. Kennedy is already accused of playing a part in enabling the 2019 Samoa measles outbreak, with 83 deaths and 5 700 cases in a population of only just over 200 000. Only months before, he had travelled to Samoa and … Continue reading When America sneezes the world catches a cold – As vaccine deniers in England get a boost from the appointment of RF Kennedy, the risk to Scotland increases

5 Comments

Historic achievement after Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon’s HPV vaccine programme in 2008 results in Scotland having now completely eradicated cervical cancer in women born 1988 to 1996 who were vaccinated by age 13

johnrobertson834

From STAT in January 2024 but trending in social media today: An historic new study out of Scotland shows the real-world impact of vaccines against the human papillomavirus: The country has detected no cases of cervical cancer in women born between 1988-1996 who were fully vaccinated against HPV between the ages of 12 and 13. Many previous studies have shown that HPV vaccines are extremely effective in preventing cervical cancer. But the study, published on Monday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is the first to monitor a national cohort of women over such a long time period and find no … Continue reading Historic achievement after Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon’s HPV vaccine programme in 2008 results in Scotland having now completely eradicated cervical cancer in women born 1988 to 1996 who were vaccinated by age 13

6 Comments

Health authorities in England carefully hid MMR vaccine levels as deadly measles cases surged across country and into Scotland

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA Today, from Public Health Scotland: 92.8% of children had the first dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months of age. This rose to 95.8% for children who had reached age five. Uptake of the second dose of MMR vaccine by 5 years was 89.4%, rising to 91.1% by age 6 years.1 There are several authorities, GOV.UK, NHS England, even the BMJ, reporting a ‘successful boost’ in the number of MMR vaccines administered to young children in 2024, (but not in London!) after the Measles surge earlier in the year. None seem prepared to tell what the … Continue reading Health authorities in England carefully hid MMR vaccine levels as deadly measles cases surged across country and into Scotland

Leave a comment

Why there have been no whooping cough deaths in Scotland but 9 in England

johnrobertson834

From the BMJ yesterday: Nine infants died from whooping cough in England between November last year and the end of May 2024, the UK Health Security Agency has reported. Altogether a total of 7599 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in England this year, with cases continuing to rise from 555 in January to 920 in February, 1427 in March, 2106. https://www.bmj.com/content/386/bmj.q1545.full I’ll be accused of being a ghoul for this but by the same folk who love to blame our drug deaths on the SNP Government, so from our regular contributor stewartb in May 2024: My suspicion – … Continue reading Why there have been no whooping cough deaths in Scotland but 9 in England

1 Comment

Deadly measles threat averted by ‘robust public health management’ after 17 years of SNP Government but in England?

johnrobertson834

From Public Health Scotland, today: There were six laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in the first quarter of 2024. Of these cases, five are thought to have been imported and related to travel outwith the UK. One case was acquired in the UK and may have been related to one of the imported cases. The lack of onward transmission associated with these cases highlights the success of the MMR vaccination programme, the importance of maintaining high vaccine uptake in Scotland, and reflects the robust public health management of these cases.  https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/immunisation-and-vaccine-preventable-diseases-quarterly-report/immunisation-and-vaccine-preventable-diseases-quarterly-report-january-to-march-2024-q1/#section-2-1 Remind me me, which UK Government has treated its … Continue reading Deadly measles threat averted by ‘robust public health management’ after 17 years of SNP Government but in England?

Leave a comment

England’s Third World NHS puts Scotland at risk of deadly measles surge

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson Thanks to Dottie again for alerting me to this. From the Sunday Times, yesterday, the above disturbing report of cuts to vaccine programmes: As of 15th May 2024, there have been 11 cases of measles confirmed in Scotland. 1 When in February there were 5, all were ‘linked to travel’ ie not due to infection within Scotland. 2 According to the ONS, 26 March, 2024: In the UK, 24-month coverage of measles, mumps and rubella first dose vaccination (MMR1) remained at 89.9% 3 In January 2024, from the UK Government: In order for our measles, mumps and … Continue reading England’s Third World NHS puts Scotland at risk of deadly measles surge