Measles: Public Health Wales' online data page published

School vaccination sessions will target older children

Details showing the extent of the Swansea measles epidemic and other cases across Wales have been published online by health officials.

The new Public Health Wales (PHW) page includes up to date figures and details of how the epidemic has grown weekly since 1 November, 2012.

It also lists the total number of measles notifications for every health board across Wales.

There have been 763 cases across Wales since November.

Most of them - 549 cases between November and 10 April - were reported in the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board area, which covers Swansea, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot.

The Hywel Dda health board in mid and west Wales had 80 cases in the same period, while the Powys teaching health board had 64.

By contrast, there have been no notifications of measles cases in the Cwm Taf health board area in the south east Wales valleys, and just four in the Cardiff and Vale health board area.

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Aneurin Bevan Health Board have 33 cases each.

The data release comes as about 2,000 pupils are set to receive the MMR jab in schools this week to try to stop the spread of the measles epidemic centred on Swansea.

Four city comprehensives and one in Neath Port Talbot will host vaccination sessions for unprotected 11-18-year-olds, who health experts say have a low take-up of the jab.

Although the epidemic is based in Swansea, cases continue to be reported across Wales.

Dr Roland Salmon, epidemiologist with PHW, told BBC Wales: "Most of the cases have been confined to one area that had a traditionally low uptake [of MMR] but there are plenty of places in Wales where the uptake isn't high enough to prevent spread."