By Registered Health Visitor – Julia Headland
You may have heard from the media that there is sadly a resurgence of the measles infection in the UK. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that the resurgence can be largely due to the reduction in the uptake of the measles vaccine (MMR) and that in the European region, over 1.8 million infants missed their measles vaccine between 2020 and 2022. In the UK alone, NHS England figures show that 3.4 million children under the age of 16 are unprotected and are at risk of catching this serious, but largely preventable disease.
Why are some children not protected?
Some of this is likely to be attributed to the Covid pandemic and supply chain disruptions. It may also be because lockdowns limited immunisation services. There may also be logistical reasons whereby parents may have gone back to work and may be unable to attend immunisation appointments. There may also be lingering remnants of concern following the discredited and false study in 1998 linking the MMR vaccine to autism (UN, 2024). Whatever the reason may be, this reduction in the uptake of the MMR vaccine essentially means that less than 95% of the population needed to be vaccinated to ensure herd immunity has slipped and this highly infectious, but largely preventable disease has reared its ugly head.
What exactly is Measles and what are the symptoms to look out for?
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease caused by a virus. It can be very unpleasant and can lead to severe complications and in some cases, be fatal. The first symptoms of measles develop at around 10 days after you have been infected and these may include:
Cold like symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and a cough
Sore red eyes that may be sensitive to light
Watery eyes
A high temperature which may reach around 40 degrees
Small greyish-white spots in the mouth
Aches and pains
Loss of appetite
Tiredness, irritability and a general lack of energy.
The measles rash appears around 2-4 days after the initial symptoms and normally fades after about a week. The rash is made up of small, red brown, flat or slightly raised spots that may join into larger blotchy patches. They usually first appear on the head or neck, before spreading outwards to the rest of the body. They might be slightly itchy for some people. (NHS Inform 2024)
It is very unlikely that your child will get measles if they have had the two doses of the MMR vaccine (NHS 2024). However, if you think that your child has measles, you will need to contact your GP as it is a notifiable disease.
It is also advised to urgently contact your GP if:
You’ve been in close contact with someone who has had measles and you’ve not had measles before or you’ve not had two doses of the MMR vaccine.
You’ve been in close contact with someone who has measles and you are pregnant – measles can be serious in pregnancy.
You have a weakened immune system and think you have measles or have been in close contact with someone who has measles.
You can also call 111 or get help from 111 online. (NHS 2024)
How to ease the symptoms of measles?
Rest and drink plenty of fluids such as water to reduce the risk of dehydration.
Take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve a high temperature; do not give aspirin to children under 16 years.
Use cotton wool soaked in water to gently remove any crusts from your child’s eyes. (NHS 2024)
Complications of measles
Measles can lead to serious problems if it spreads to other parts of the body, these may include:
Blindness
Pneumonia
Meningitis
Seizures
Death
A long term complication of measles is a condition called Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) which is a very rare but fatal disease of the central nervous system that results from a measles virus infection acquired earlier in life.
How can you minimise the risk?
Vaccinating your child is the most significant way of reducing the risk of catching measles. In the UK, the MMR vaccine is given in 2 separate doses:
1st Dose is at 12 months.
2nd Dose is given at 3 years and 4 months before starting school.
If you are unsure whether your child has had the full dose of the MMR, you can check with your GP surgery as they will have a record on the computer system. If you are still having concerns about whether to give your child the MMR vaccine, please speak with your local Health Visitor or GP and discuss your concerns and they will be able to give you facts around safety and efficacy.
Measles can cause the most severe illness of the UK rash-producing viruses but is thankfully, unlikely if your child has been immunised with the MMR vaccine. (Johnson, 2015)
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For those people I have not yet met, my name is Julia Headland and I am a registered health visitor and registered general nurse with a degree in public health and over 20 years of experience. I am very pleased to work alongside the Norfolk House Nursery team.
You can arrange to meet me for confidential advice or guidance about your child’s health or development; during the pandemic these consultations are being conducted by Zoom or telephone.
My consultations are free of charge and they are confidential.
You can book an appointment with me via the Norfolk House Nursery staff.
You can also follow me on social media:
Facebook: @JuliaHeadlandPrivateHealthVisitor
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