Recognizing Measles Symptoms and Recommended Steps to Take

Cases of measles are rising. In Merseyside, health officials are telling everyone to stay calm. This weekend, a child with this horrific disease died at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.


You can now see a rise occurring because in the past few years, not too much attention was given to the MMR shot. People are encouraged to get it for themselves and their kids to stop blocking a big health issue.


Measles hit hard, mainly children. Know the signs and what to do if you suspect that you or your child has it. The first signs of measles are those of any other common childhood illness. According to Alder Hey's Chief Nurse, Nathan Askew, the initial symptoms are a cough, temporary loss of appetite, running nose, and bloodshot eyes. Then it follows with a striking clear rash, beginning somewhere on the face or ears and spreading all over.


"You spread it days before the rash shows up, and so what seems like a plain kid bug can be very catching before it is found as measles," Mr. Askew said.


Measles can cause serious illnesses and can also lead to death. Professor Louise Kenny, a patron of great standing at the University of Liverpool, has recounted that in the early 1990s, she saw a young child dying of measles. The child became infected with measles before reaching one year of age and was therefore too young to be immunized. The child died of "uncommon complications" of the illness some 10 years later.


That very weekend, a child who died might be the second one in England in the past five years to have died of measles. Eighteen children at Alder Hey have been treated for this illness since June.


The NHS tells moms and dads or anyone in charge of children to call their GPs or NHS 111 if they feel their child may have measles instead of rushing their child to the hospital or clinic. This advice is given because the virus spreads very easily, and it is necessary not to put vulnerable people at risk.


In their letter to parents regarding the rise in cases, Alder Hey management observed that measles is particularly dangerous for young kids under one year and those with other serious health issues like cancer.


Mr. Askew noted that bad measles cases had "gone away" early in his work life but have begun to rise again recently because fewer kids are getting their shots.


This year, England recorded 500 cases of measles. The World Health Organization hopes 95% of children are fully immunized by the age of five. In the UK, Prof. Kenny pointed out that 84% of children were vaccinated, which is much more than the 73% figure in Liverpool.


During the Covid-19 crisis, she spoke about a larger portion of the population being unwilling to get vaccinations. "I'm a parent too, and we all want the best for our kids," she stated. "Yet, the truth is that shots, mainly the MMR one, are safe." Children are to receive the first dose of the MMR vaccine at one year and are to be given the second dose when they turn three years and four months.


If there is any doubt whether the child's vaccinations are current, consult a GP. Prof. Kenny stressed that it's "never too late" for vaccinations. "If a child got one vaccination but none thereafter, we advise parents, and we tell them, teens, or adults they can," she explained. The vaccination has no cost and can be accessed at a local GP practice.