Ella Kearney from Golf Links Road was the winner of this year’s primary school colouring competition run by HSE West in relation to Immunisation Week. Ella received her prize at a special presentation function in Hannon’s Hotel, Roscommon yesterday (Wednesday). This year, Immunisation Week took place in mid April. Fiona Quinn, a public health nurse in Monksland and Assistant Director of Public Health Nursing for Immunisation in Roscommon, explained. ‘This year the focus of the campaign was the MMR vaccine. The rate of uptake should be higher in Ireland. At the moment, it’s at 86 percent and it should be 95 percent. |The competition was focused on primary school children and all the national schools were invited to take part. We also conducted promotions at supermarkets throughout the county. In all we had 360 entrants and the winner was drawn from those entrants. Ella is a pupil at Scoil Mhuire national school in Roscommon. ‘I just want to thank all the schools who participated and all the other participants who took part.’ While the national uptake of the MMR vaccine is at 86 percent, figures in County Roscommon are higher, at over 90 percent, but Fiona wants to see that increased to the 95 percent target. ‘We are concerned about a measles outbreak and protection for that is given free at GP practices at one year of age.’
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