Measles

Contents

• What is measles?
• What does it look like?
• How do you get it?
• What you should do
• How to avoid measles
• Dr Kim says 

What is measles?

Measles is a serious illness.

It is caused by a virus.

It can lead to other serious illnesses.

When Europeans first went to places like Australia and America they took the measles virus with them (there were people who were sick with measles among the settlers). Many people in those places (indigenous people) caught measles and many people died because no one in those places had ever had measles before and there was no immunity to it.

What does it look like?

	Feeling miserable and unwell, having a headache.
	Runny nose.
	Cough.
	Red, sore eyes which hurt when looking at TV or when the light is bright.
	Fever - having a high temperature.
	Small red spots with white centres inside the mouth before the rash comes.
	A rash of large flat patches which can run together and cover most of the body.
	The rash usually starts on the forehead then moves down the body.
	The outer layer of the skin may peel off as the rash gets better, but new skin is growing all the time to take its place.
	Feeling hot and tired and pretty sick (feeling crook as we say in Australia).

How do you get it?

You get measles from someone who has got measles.

It is spread through the air by sneezing or coughing.

It can be spread by the watery stuff from a runny nose or eyes.

It takes about 8-12 days after contact with measles for the person to become unwell.

What you should do

See the doctor and stay home. Rest and sleep a lot.

Mum or dad may give you paracetamol or ibuprofen mixture or tablets.

Bright light and TV or video games may hurt your eyes so this is a good time to rest or get mum or dad to read your favourite stories to you.

Measles is very infectious from when you start being unwell until 4 or 5 days after the rash comes. This is not a good time to invite your friends for a sleep over!

How to avoid measles

Most kids in Australia will not get measles because they have been immunised (by injections) against Measles, Mumps and Rubella when they were 12 months old and again before starting school. Many other countries have the same sort of programs for their kids too so that there are no longer thousands of kids all over the world dying every year from measles, like they used to do in the old days.

From a mum,  "I got measles when I was little and had to stay in my room with the curtains closed. I couldn’t even read because my eyes were so sore. The good bit was that my dad came to read to me every night when I was sick."

Dr Kim says:

Measles is a serious illness and it is much better to have the immunisations before you are in contact with someone who has measles.

We've collected this information to help you to understand important things about staying healthy and happy. However, if you feel sick or unhappy, it is important to tell your mum or dad, a teacher or another grown-up.