What you need to know about measles

Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death.

Measles can affect anyone who is not immune but is most common in children.

The virus is so contagious that 90% of people who are not immune and who come into contact with an infected person will become infected and develop the disease.

Measles is normally spread through direct contact and through the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body.

The measles virus can live for up to 2 hours on a surface or in the air. If other people breathe in the contaminated air or touch the infected surface and then their eyes, nose or mouth, they can become infected. An infected person can spread the virus even before they have typical symptoms (e.g. rash).

Measles infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash all over the body. Measles is a highly contagious and potentially serious disease.

Most deaths from measles are from complications related to the disease. Complications are most common in children under 5 years and adults over age 30.

One in 5 children infected with the measles virus may develop severe complications.

Complications can include:

• blindness
• encephalitis (an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage)
• severe diarrhoea and related dehydration
• ear infections that can lead to permanent deafness
• severe breathing problems including pneumonia.

Measles infection has also been shown to weaken a person’s immune system, making it more difficult for them to fight off other diseases for months or even years after being sick with measles.

If a woman catches measles during pregnancy, this can be dangerous for the mother and can result in her baby being born prematurely with a low birth weight.

The only way to stop measles is to prevent it through vaccination. Measles vaccine is safe and effective. Two doses of measles-containing vaccine (MR/measles-rubella) provide 97% protection from infection and the potentially serious consequences of the disease. For most people this protection is lifelong.

There is no specific treatment for measles. Drinking enough water and treatments for dehydration can replace fluids lost to diarrhea or vomiting. Eating a healthy diet is also important.

Doctors may use antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial pneumonia and ear and eye infections. Giving the vaccine or immunoglobulin in the early stage after infection may sometimes prevent severe disease. All children and adults with measles should receive 2 doses of vitamin A supplements given 24 hours apart. This restores low vitamin A levels that occur even in well-nourished children. It can help prevent eye damage and blindness. Vitamin A supplements may also reduce the number of deaths due to measles.

If you suspect that you or your child has measles, you need to contact your health-care provider as soon as possible and let them know about your symptoms or concerns. Your health-care provider may decide to make special arrangements to evaluate you, if needed, without putting others at risk.

Most children don’t develop any side effects from the measles-containing vaccine. Side effects that may occur are usually mild and may include soreness, redness, or mild swelling at the injection site. Fever lasting 2–3 days, mild flu-like symptoms, and a mild rash can occur 7–10 days after vaccination but are not cause for concern.

More serious adverse reactions following immunization are extremely rare. The risk of serious outcomes from measles is far higher than the risk of side effects from the vaccine.

Allergic reactions to the vaccine are possible but extremely rare. Measles vaccines should not be given to a child or adult with a history of anaphylactic reactions or severe allergic reactions to any component of the vaccine (e.g. neomycin or gelatin).

Measles vaccination occasionally induces febrile seizures. Most children recover quickly from febrile seizures and they have no lasting effects.

Talk to your health-care provider to find out when your child is eligible for the vaccine.

If your child has missed any scheduled doses, they could be vulnerable to very serious diseases. Make an appointment to catch up as soon as possible.

A single dose of MR (measles-rubella) vaccine is approximately 84% effective against measles.  After a second MR dose, protection increases to up to 97% against measles. It is extremely unlikely to develop measles once vaccinated, and in those few cases, symptoms are generally milder.

If you do not have written documentation of measles immunity, consult your health-care provider about getting vaccinated. There is no harm in getting another dose of MMR vaccine if you may already be immune to measles (or mumps or rubella).