Measles is NOT just a rash

You would often hear about Measles on the news these days. You probably have heard about the case of the family bringing their child with Measles to Disneyland in 2014, which ended up spreading the disease to many others.Or you might have heard about the scam which tried to link Measles vaccination to autism.

There are many arguments for and against Measles vaccination (MMR - Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccination). Parents who are considering why they should or not vaccinate their child should seriously weigh out the harm from a Measles infection on their child versus the risk of vaccination. (And not just on the risk of vaccination alone.)

One of the more common arguments you hear from anti-vaccination campaigners is that Measles is just a rash and it is not a big deal to get it. The truth is often far from it. This is largely likely due to most first world populations have such low rates of Measles, due to vaccination, that people are very unlikely to have first hand experience or a close friend or relative contracting the virus. Hence, making it difficult to personalise the effect of Measles, as compared to personalising the effect of Autism.

So what exactly is Measles and what are the risks involved?

Measles is a virus which spreads in the air or contact.
Measles can spread not only by sharing food with an infected person, but also through coughs and sneezes. It can also spread in the air. In a healthcare setting, caring for a patient with Measles would require the use of Airborne transmission-based precautions. This includes using a N95 mask, gloves, aprons and proper hand hygiene. Measles can start spreading 4 days before the rash appears.


Measles is not just a rash.
Symptoms start between 7 - 18 days after contracting the infection. Symptoms of measles can include:
- high fever
- fatigue
- runny nose and sneezing
- sore throat and a hacking cough
- swollen neck lymph nodes
- diarrhoea
- red and sore eyes
- spots in the mouth (Koplik spots)
- rash all over the body


Measles isn't always something that just goes away with no harm done.
Unfortunately, complications can arise from a  Measles infection especially in children. Complications can be more common that one might assume.

Common complications include:
- More than 1 every 10 children with Measles will get an ear infection which can lead to permanent hearing loss.
- Just under 1 every 10 children with Measles will get diarrhoea which can lead to severe dehydration - a medical emergency.

Severe complications include:
- For every 20 children with Measles, 1 will get pneumonia. This is the most common cause of death from measles in young children.
- For every 1000 children with Measles, 1  will get encephalitis (swelling of the brain) which can lead to convulsions and can leave the child intellectually disabled and deaf.
- Even with BEST medical care today, for every 1000 children with Measles, 1-2 will DIE.

Measles in pregnancy can lead to a miscarriage, early birth and a baby with a low birth weight.


Measles is HIGHLY infectious.
If you are not immune to measles, you have a 90% chance of contracting the virus when exposed to it. So if you have not had the disease or the immunisation before, you have a very high chance of contracting the virus. In a community, the more people who are immunised, the less likely the disease will transmit. This is important to those who aren't able to be immunised such as children under 12 months old or are immunocompromised.

So please parents, weight up the risk of having measles itself when you consider if you are going to not vaccinate your child.


References
Measles (Rubeola) - WebMD
Basic Infection Control and Prevention Plan for Outpatient Oncology Settings
Measles (Rubeola) - CDC

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