The measles is a highly infectious virus which is spread through the air in the form of saliva. Measles can be transmitted through direct contact with a person infected with the virus, as well as through coughing and sneezing. Measles are most common in young children aged between one and four, although it is possible for anyone to catch it if they have not been immunised.

When a person gets infected with measles, it typically takes around ten days for the symptoms to occur. This includes cold-like symptoms, high fever, dry coughs and the widely recognised red-brown spots. Measles are most infectious when the symptoms first start to appear, normally before the skin rash has developed. If measles are suspected, the person in question should be isolated until at least five days after the rash started appearing. Treatment is not normally necessary; as the body’s immune system can fight off the infection within a couple of weeks. People generally develop an immunity towards measles if they have fought it off once, and cases of re-infection are very rare.

The first MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccination should be given to children when they are around 13 months old, and a booster dose given before they begin school at the age of three to five years. Between 5-10% of children are not completely immune to the virus after the first dose, so the booster jab helps to increase protection, resulting in less than 1% remaining at risk. Without immunisations, the measles virus would spread quickly and easily and would cause an epidemic.

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