HOLIDAY WARNING: Britons risking deadly disease outbreak in Europe Christmas markets
HOLIDAYS to Europe over the Christmas period are putting Britons at risk due to a huge disease outbreak.
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Britons travelling to Europe over the festive season are at risk of contracting measles after a huge outbreak has plagued many of the countries.
Many travellers may be choosing to visit a Christmas market abroad with all the family without realising the possible dangers of catching the disease.
Public Health England (PHE) has issued a warning for Britons heading to Germany, Italy and Romania, in particular, to be aware of the risks.
Anyone who hasn’t had the MMR vaccine have the greatest chance of catching the infection.
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The MMR jab protects against measles, mumps and rubella, but to be protected both vaccinations must have been taken.
Earlier this week, two cities in the UK were confirmed to have outbreaks of measles, with a third at risk.
Leeds currently has 16 confirmed cases, with Liverpool also having 11 people confirmed to have the disease.
Birmingham also has 9 confirmed cases, according to gov.uk
Measles symptoms include high fever, blotchy red rashes and aching, according to the NHS.
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The highly infectious nature of the disease means it can easily spread
The highly infectious nature of the disease means it can easily spread, something amplified by the festive period when the streets are busy with Christmas shoppers.
Anyone who has these symptoms should stay at home and contact their doctor or call 111.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, states: "The measles outbreaks we are currently seeing in England are linked to ongoing large outbreaks in Europe.
"People who have recently travelled, or are planning to travel to Romania, Italy and Germany and have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine are particularly at risk.
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"Children and young adults who missed out on their MMR vaccine in the past or are unsure if they had two doses should contact their GP practice to catch up.
"We'd also encourage people to ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccine before travelling to countries with ongoing measles outbreaks."
Travellers should always make sure to travel with insurance as well, to prevent any costly medical bills when abroad.
It has recently been revealed that half of Britons regularly go abroad without any insurance.
