7 things every parent needs to know about measles

Measles cases are rising once again in the UK and experts are urging people to check if they need to be jabbed against this highly contagious disease.

London is a measles hotspot and primary school children and young adults who have not had the MMR vaccine are particularly at risk of falling ill. 

Keep scrolling to see the symptoms to look out for, who is most at risk and what you can do to keep safe.

For ways to keep your family living costs down, and kids of all ages happy and healthy, 1. 

Measles is an extremely infectious viral disease that's spread through water droplets dispersed by coughing or sneezing.

Vaccination, which became available in 1963, significantly reduced deaths from measles globally. By 2017 it was declared that the UK had eliminated measles, but now it's on the rise again.

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You may associate measles with a red, blotchy rash but this usually appears up to four days after other symptoms have emerged, including:

Cold-like symptoms Sore red eyesAches and pains A high temperatureSmall white spots in the mouth

A measles rash tends to start from the face (typically behind the ears and at the hairline) before spreading to the rest of the body, but unlike other childhood illnesses such as chicken pox or German measles, it isn't itchy.

It may be harder to see on darker skin types, where it can look brown or red and may be slightly raised, too.

 From chicken pox and measles through to meningococcal septicaemia, our comprehensive guide is packed full of photos and information3.undefined

The World Health Organization has identified measles as one of the most contagious infections in the world.

To give you an idea of just how contagious it is, when someone has Covid they will, on average, spread it to around three people. Someone with measles will spread it to 15 others.

Spending just 15 minutes with an infected person is enough to get infected yourself, which is why those who have measles should isolate until they're no longer able to pass it on.

If you suspect you or your child are infectious, don't socialise and don't let your child go to school or play with other kids for at least four days from when the rash first appears. 

is aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol appropriate?4.

Vaccine coverage is the lowest it's been in a decade: about one in 10 children are not protected from measles by the time they start school. But increasing numbers of teens and young adults are catching measles, too.

Although the hotspot is London, students going to university or college elsewhere may be exposed to the virus as they mix with students who've come from affected areas from both the UK and overseas.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging university students to speak to their GP to get up-to-date with their measles vaccine (the MMR), along with those for meningitis and septicaemia (the MenACWY jab) and the human papilloma virus (the HPV vaccine, for female students).

5.

Newborn babies, unvaccinated pregnant women, older people and people with weakened immune systems (such as those having chemotherapy) are vulnerable to being seriously unwell if they catch measles.

It can be a mild infection for some children, but one child in five will need to go to hospital while one in 15 will experience complications, such as meningitis or sepsis.

Complications can include pneumonia, meningitis or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), blindness and seizures, and it can also result in miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth in pregnancy.

In some rare cases it can cause devastation years later with sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), which leads to the progressive destruction of the central nervous system, dementia, loss of motor control, epilepsy and eventually death.

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Although the MMR vaccine is conventionally given at 12-13 months for the first dose and between 3-4 years for the second, it's never too late to have it if you or your child has missed out on either the second or both doses.

You may especially want to check if the following applies:

You were born between 1998 and 2004.You live in London.Your child is primary school age. You were born or brought up abroad. See who's eligible and where you can find it cheapest 7.

There is no specific treatment for most measles cases because it's viral so all you can really do is ease the symptoms. Here's how:

Get plenty of rest Drink lots of water Take painkillersGently remove eye crusts 

Symptoms usually improve in about a week, but if they worsen and you experience shortness of breath, a high temperature that isn't brought down by paracetamol or ibuprofen, confusion or seizures (fits), call 999 or go to A&E.

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/seven-things-every-parent-needs-to-know-about-measles-aqZXZ1W9X2dQ