Measles

• All unimmunized individuals after 12 months of age
• All individuals born after 1970 are recommended to have 2 doses of MMR.
• The MMR vaccine is not routinely recommended for individuals born before 1970 as it is generally assumed they have acquired immunity to measles from natural infection. 

Special considerations: 

• Health care workers
• Students of post-secondary educational settings

Please check with your Health Care Provider if you have any questions

Measles is caused by a viral infection and is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. Measles is spread through the air when someone who is sick with measles coughs or sneezes in the same room as you and you inhale the infected droplets in the air. Measles is can also be spread through close and direct contact. 

Symptoms of measles include:

• fever of 38.3° C or higher;
• cough, runny nose or red eyes; and

• a red, blotchy rash appearing 3 to 7 days after a fever starts. It begins behind the ears and on the face, spreading down the body and then to the arms and legs.

   

If you are experiencing symptoms of measles, stay at home, and call your health care provider or local public health unit right away. 

Complications of Measles include:

• 1 to 5 in every 100 people will get pneumonia;
• 1 in every 1,000 people will suffer permanent brain damage;
• 1 in 3,000 people will die; and
• it can lead to seizures.

While anyone who is not immune can catch measles, those most at risk for severe infection include people who have a weakened immune system, people who have a chronic illness, people who are malnourished or poorly nourished, and infants under one year of age. Pregnant people are also at higher risk for severe infection. A measles infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriages, premature birth, and the baby having a low birth weight. 

• Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself against severe complications from Measles disease
• When you are your child gets vaccinated you help protect others as well, including those who cannot get the vaccine

• Common reactions to the immunization may include redness, tenderness, and swelling at the injection site. These are generally mild and last 1-2 days.
• Some people may experience fever, a general feeling of being unwell, and a mild rash 6 to 23 days after receiving the vaccine.
• Side effects of the immunization are easily relieved by: Applying a cold/damp compress to the site, administering a pain-relieving medication such as acetaminophen if needed. Talk to health care provider if your symptoms are severe or last longer than expected.
• It is important to stay in the clinic for 15 minutes after getting any immunization because there is a rare possibility of developing a severe allergic reaction which is treatable at the health center. This happens to less than 1 in 1 million people. If it happens after you leave the clinic, call 911 or the local emergency number.