The measles epidemic is all over the news! Wasn’t this a thing of the past? Well yes and no! It really should be a thing of the past but not every child has been immuninized.
Which Vaccine protects against the Measles ?
The two vaccines that protect against measles are the MMR and the MMRV vaccines. MMR stands for Measles, Mumps and Rubella. MMRV includes Varicella which is also known as Chickenpox.
What kind of a name is Measle for a Virus ?
Measles virus is also known as ” Rubeola” which can easily be confused for ” Rubella” which is known as “German Measle” which isn’t related to the current epidemic.
What are the symptoms of Measle
The signs and symptoms of measles are often non specific. This means they are commonly seen with regular rashes that children get. In addition they can have what is called ” Kolick Spots” . What the heck is that ?
Glad you asked, check out the signs and symptoms from the CDC. You should only look to reliable sources like this rather than the unreliable sources that will only increase your level of anxiety !
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/signs-symptoms.htmll
So What’s the Big Deal if my Child Gets the Measly Measle !?
That is a common question and it is a good one ! In general measle in and of itself is not alarming. However it is the complications that can occur that is of concern.
For example according to the CDC About one child out of every 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis (swelling of the brain) that can lead to convulsions and can leave the child deaf or with intellectual disability.
For more on the complications see this link
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/complications.html
How do I know if my child has the measle
Since Measle can be difficult to distinguish from other viral and bacterial infections it is best to have your child seen by his/her pediatrician. This is especially important. However, this is very preventable with the MMR / MMRV vaccines.
Should my child get the Vaccine to prevent Measle?
The answer is of course. The specifics can be found through the following link
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccination.html
Stuart C. Silverstein, MD is the Medical Director of Firefly Pediatric Urgent Care and is the author of Laughing Your Way to Passing the Pediatric Boards
Dr. Stuart Silverstein,
MD, FAAP.