The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an alert over a “highly infectious” disease. Government health chiefs took to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday morning to explain that one person can infect around 15 others who are unvaccinated, on average.
The update reads: “Measles is highly infectious. 1 person can infect 15 other unvaccinated people on average. Being vaccinated helps protect you, and others who can’t be vaccinated such as young and unborn babies.”
Information found on a link included within the post further explains that measles can “cause serious problems in some people” and that the MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent it. The disease usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later and some people also get small spots in their mouth.
These first symptoms include a high temperature, a runny or blocked nose, a cough, sneezing, and red, sore, watery eyes. The rash, which usually appears a few days later, usually starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
Spots of the rash are sometimes raised and joined together to form blotchy patches, and they’re not normally itchy. The rash looks brown or red on white skin and may be harder to see on brown or black skin, NHS guidance states, adding: “It’s very unlikely to be measles if you’ve had both doses of the MMR vaccine or you’ve had measles before.”
You should contact 111 or ask for an urgent GP appointment if you think you or your child may have measles, if your child is under one year old and has come into contact with someone who has measles, or if you’ve been in close contact with someone who has measles and are pregnant or have a weakened immune system. You should also seek urgent medical advice if:
- you or your child have a high temperature that has not come down after taking paracetamol or ibuprofen
- you or your child have difficulty breathing – you may feel more short of breath than usual
- your baby or young child is not feeding well, or taking less feeds or fluids than usual
- you or your child are peeing less than usual (or your baby has fewer wet nappies)
- you or your child feels very unwell, or you’re worried something is seriously wrong
Anyone with measles should stay off work, school or nursery for at least four days from when the rash first appears, and try to avoid close contact with babies and anyone who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system.