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Cork Kerry Community Healthcare continues to offer free walk-in clinics for anyone who may not have had their first dose of the MMR vaccination.

This week’s walk-in MMR clinics in Cork will be the last chance for members of the public to get their MMR first doses at a walk-in clinic.

Please find a full list of the clinics below. After 15 April, clinics will focus on providing the second dose of the vaccine to those who recently received their first dose. Anyone needing a first dose of the MMR vaccine after this date will need to contact their GP. 

Measles cases are on the rise; it is a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications for all ages. The only protection is vaccination, with two doses needed to be considered fully vaccinated. You can book a MMR vaccination clinic appointment HERE.

The catch-up campaign focuses on delivering the MMR vaccine to key groups, who may have missed their vaccines in the past:

• Children (if your child had a MMR at 12 months and is due to start Junior Infants in September, they are appropriately vaccinated and will get their second dose in school).
• Young adults.
• Health and care workers born after January 1st 1978 who may have missed MMR vaccination, or those born outside of Ireland, are advised to schedule a vaccination.
• Anyone born in Ireland after January 1st 1978, who may have missed an MMR vaccine, is also advised to schedule a vaccination.

If you are not sure if you have had the MMR vaccine when you were a child, you can still get the vaccine now to make sure you’re protected. If you cannot find your vaccination records, it will not harm you to have the MMR vaccine again. 

Children and babies

The HSE is offering catch-up MMR vaccine to children under 18 years of age who may have missed routine vaccination. This is being offered through GP services and parents should contact their GP to make an appointment for their child/children.

Young adults

HSE community clinics are for everyone eligible who is aged five years and over – including all age groups for those born outside of Ireland. A vaccine portal is now open to book an appointment for MMR in community settings HERE. The following clinics are also open to walk-ins next week:

CORK:

Skibbereen Dental Clinic, Grounds of Skibbereen Community Hospital, Coolnagarrane, P81 HC43

Tuesday, 16 April: 10am-2pm

Ballincollig Primary Care Centre, Old Fort Road, Ballincollig, Cork, P31 XN96

Wednesday, 17 April: 10am-4pm

Kinsale Primary Care Centre, New Road, Kinsale, Cork, 917 RY11

Thursday, 18 April: 1.30pm – 3.30pm

St Mary’s Primary Care Centre, St Mary’s Health Campus, Gurranabraher, Cork, T23 V09X

Friday, 19 April: 9am-1pm  

Dr Michael Hanrahan, Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine, said:

“As our teams will now prepare to offer people their second dose of the MMR vaccine, we would encourage all who have not yet had the opportunity to visit our free catch-up clinics to do so next week. The free walk-in MMR vaccine clinics offer a safe and effective way to protect you, your family, and your community from measles. As Measles is a highly contagious viral infection, which can cause serious illness and in severe cases, it can lead to complications such as pneumonia and brain swelling, which can be life-threatening or cause life-long disabilities, it is vitally important that you ensure you are up to date with your MMR vaccinations”.

The HSE vaccination team on-site are available to answer any questions you may have. There’s also more information on www.hse.ie/measles

• Details of notified cases of infectious diseases in Ireland are available in the HPSC – Latest Weekly Infectious Disease Report
• Current public health advice indicates that people born in Ireland before 1978 are likely to have been exposed to measles as children and, therefore, unlikely to require MMR vaccine.
• Information on who should get the MMR catch-up vaccine and how to access it is available on www.hse.ie.

Signs and symptoms of measles

The symptoms of measles include: Cold-like symptoms such as aches and pains, a runny nose, sneezing and a cough – sore red eyes that may be sensitive to light. A temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above, which may reach around 40 degrees Celsius. Small greyish-white spots in your mouth, loss of appetite, tiredness, irritability and a general lack of energy. Rash, which usually appears on head and neck first and spreads to rest of body. Further information about measles symptoms is available at: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/mmr-vaccine.

If you have these symptoms, please seek medical advice. Phone ahead prior to attending your GP, Emergency Department or other healthcare provider to inform the healthcare professionals that you have these symptoms, so they can make necessary arrangements. In addition, please alert medical staff if you have been in contact with someone who has measles or if you have recently travelled to an area where you know measles has been spreading.

 Further information about vaccination is available at www.immunisation.ie