Measles

Measles, also known as rubeola, is a common disease caused by a virus of the genus Morbillivirus.

Public health

In developed countries, most children are immunised against measles at the age of 18 months as part of a three-part MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella). The vaccination is generally not given earlier than this because children younger than 18 months usually retain anti-measles immunoglobulins transmitted from the mother during pregnancy. A booster shot is then given between the ages of four and five. Vaccination rates have been high enough to make measles relatively uncommon. Even a single case in a college dorm or similar setting is often met with a local vaccination program, in case any of the people exposed are not already immune. In developing countries, measles remains common.

Related Topics:
MMR vaccine - Mumps - Rubella - Immunoglobulins

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The recent health scare in the UK proposing a link between the combined MMR vacine (vaccinating children from mumps, measles and rubella) and autism has prompted a resurgence in popularity of the "measles party", where parents deliberately infect the child with measles in order to build up the child's immunity without requiring an injection. This practice poses many health risks to the child, and has been discouraged by the UK's Department of Health.

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Measles is a significant infectious disease because, while the rate of complications is not high, the disease itself is so infectious that the sheer number of people who would suffer complications in an outbreak amongst non-immune people would quickly overwhelm available hospital resources. If vaccination rates fall, the number of non-immune persons in the community rises and the risk of an outbreak of measles consequently rises.

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According to the World Health Organization, measles is the leading cause of vaccine preventable childhood mortality - there are 30 million cases and 875,000 deaths caused by measles every year http://www.who.int/vaccines-documents/DocsPDF01/www573.pdf.

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