Re: MMR, measles, and the South Wales Evening Post
Mark Struthers is right to say perhaps one of Her Majesty's senior health officials could explain the differences in the numbers of confirmed cases of measles.
And, seeing as we are discussing Medicine and the Media, perhaps one of Her Majesty's senior health officials could also explain why the South Wales Evening Post can get away with claiming "CONFIRMED cases of measles in the Swansea area have risen to 1,074" in today's edition [1], when that is simply untrue and a gross exaggeration of the situation.
The latest data from Public Health Wales shows there are 1080 measles *notifications* in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and the whole of Powys [2].
Public Health Wales also clearly say; "Reported notifications of measles usually far exceed the actual numbers of confirmed cases. Other rashes are often mistaken for measles.", and their website shows that the all Wales surveillance of laboratory *confirmed* measles infections for Swansea stands at 94, and 279 for the whole of Wales [3].
Rapid Response:
Re: MMR, measles, and the South Wales Evening Post
Mark Struthers is right to say perhaps one of Her Majesty's senior health officials could explain the differences in the numbers of confirmed cases of measles.
And, seeing as we are discussing Medicine and the Media, perhaps one of Her Majesty's senior health officials could also explain why the South Wales Evening Post can get away with claiming "CONFIRMED cases of measles in the Swansea area have risen to 1,074" in today's edition [1], when that is simply untrue and a gross exaggeration of the situation.
The latest data from Public Health Wales shows there are 1080 measles *notifications* in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and the whole of Powys [2].
Public Health Wales also clearly say; "Reported notifications of measles usually far exceed the actual numbers of confirmed cases. Other rashes are often mistaken for measles.", and their website shows that the all Wales surveillance of laboratory *confirmed* measles infections for Swansea stands at 94, and 279 for the whole of Wales [3].
[1] http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/MEASLES-Cases-Swansea-area-continue-ri...
[2] http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/888/page/66389#b
[3] http://www2.nphs.wales.nhs.uk:8080/CommunitySurveillanceDocs.nsf/($All)/E26DD2EEC96007F180257B64005807A5/$File/monthly%20lab%202013May.pdf?OpenElement
Competing interests: No competing interests