Here’s how a child dies of measles

[Shuffletoesxtreme]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/child-dies-measles-vaccines/685969/

60 cases in London, where vaccinations are lowest in the country.

I'd highly recommend this. It was on my to do list to get DD vaccinated for chicken pox (pre NHS vaccine) but she caught it before I did. She suffered a lot with the symptoms for two weeks, plus of course all the usual time off work and sleepless nights. I regret not making it more of a priority.

I'm rather old. I had measles as a 3 year old (definitely no vaccines about: I had every vaccine that was available) and it severely affected my eyesight for life.

A colleague of mine’s granddaughter died a few years ago of sepsis following chicken pox, age 2.
My SIL caught polio age 7, literally months before the vaccine was introduced, and died age 50 from complications related to being wheelchair-bound. MIL kept a photo of her in her ballet costume age 6.
Heartbreaking cases and, in 2026, preventable.

As of January 1st all children aged 1-6 will now be offered MMRV. We can only use MMR for children aged 6 and over, and adults.

We order our vaccines weekly and always hold stock of MMR and now MMRV, but cannot give MMR to the 1-6 year olds as it isn’t now part of the childhood schedule. We work to strict guidance and protocol and our authorisation to vaccinate doesn’t allow us to give parents a choice between MMR, and MMRV.

The consensus amongst those of us actually delivering the childhood schedule is that this may potentially lead to a drop in measles protection as parents decline MMRV for spurious reasons or due to a lack of understanding, as already demonstrated online. Yes the MMRV has a slightly higher risk of febrile convulsion post-vaccine but it’s much less than the risk of febrile convulsion post natural disease -

Following the first dose of the MMRV vaccine, there is a slightly higher risk of having a febrile convulsion (35 in 100,000), than there is with the first dose of the MMR vaccine (24 in 100,000). However, the chance of a febrile convulsion is much higher if the child is unvaccinated and catches measles (2,300 in 100,000).

Febrile convulsions, whilst looking terrifying, are not harmful, are not linked to epilepsy, and can be short lived, usually lasting less than a minute or two.

I’ve been giving childhood vaccines for 26 years and anecdotally I have never seen a case of vaccine damage or (luckily ) had to deal with any serious reactions post-immunisation. Vaccines now are very different to what they were 30+ years ago so parents shouldn’t compare their own experience to their child’s.

It does make me sad to read about HCPs that aren’t open to discussion with parents though, and willing to have a sensible reasoned discussion about parental fears and concerns.

Genuinely cannot comprehend those who do not vaccinate their children. It’s so illogical and uncaring to me. It blows my mind and I feel so sad for the children.

@Sidge thank you for that informative post.

This is incredible, isn't it. While I'm perfectly aware that measles is an evil and dangerous disease, both for children and people who catch it as adults, I had no idea that a childhood infection could cause such dire problems many years later. How did it manifest as an adult?

Jesus. If only there was a vaccine against stupidity!

Why does it make you mad? People who choose not to vaccinate are not doing so because they can’t be bothered to go to the GP, they’re doing it because they want to make the right decision for their baby. There are plenty of vaccine neutral doctors out there who give advice to both sides, explaining the risks for both vaccinating and not vaccinating. If there is even a slight chance of your baby getting encephalitis from the MMR, and a mother doesn’t want to take that risk, however small, you can’t get angry at them. Every mum is doing what they think is best. People seem to assume that those who choose not to vaccinate, make the decision on a whim, rather than researching it for months, sometimes years. And it’s really not an easy decision to make, it’s potentially, for some a life changing decision. So to ridicule other mums, who do not want their kids to risk their children’s health, seems completely unfair. Everyone is doing what they think is safest.

And for anyone interested in weighing up both sides, a really helpful, vaccine neutral Doctor, drgreenmom on Instagram is a brilliant one to follow. Informative and supportive.

Thanks for that great post full of useful information, do you know if the MMR can be offered privately? Without the V? We have a history of febrile convulsions in our family and my dd is considering not having the 2nd one due to the DC already having chicken pox and the youngest as she doesn't want them to have it due to what she's seen, although she does realise it's not a massive increased risk. She wants the MMR but not with the v if you see what I mean?

I remember having measles when I was 5. I’ve never experienced anything like it since. The memory is still vivid, and I didn’t hesitate to vaccinate my dc.

Thanks @Sidge very useful post and info and thanks for doing what you do.

I must admit to having had a small hesitation on finding out the vaccine is now different and reading the headline of increase in seizures. I had to go down my own rabbit hole to find out that ‘seizures’ is not as scary as it sounds or looks if it happens and what to do about it and also what ‘increase’ actually means in numbers. Useful to have it spelled out because I can definitely see how a parent can easily talk themselves out of following the schedule.

However it’s been scary to see in the news that there’s currently a measles outbreak not far from where we live in North London and in my big kid’s class there is currently 4 kids who were off with chicken pox. I’m spending half term very cautiously avoiding other kids until vaccinations are done for my 1 yr old very soon. No brainer.

Because they aren't weighing up risks sensibly and a drop in vaccination levels leaves lots of people vulnerable?

Look up herd immunity. In addition, children who are too young to have had the vaccines are vulnerable to outbreaks when herd immunity drops below a certain level.

Vaccines are not a 50-50, weigh-up, both-positions-are-reasonable kind of thing. Vaccines are a gift to humanity that previous generations would have given their right arms for. Vaccines save people not only from death but from multiple terrible lifelong side-effects, as posted by some here. Thanks to herd immunity from most people vaccinating their kids, those possible deaths and side effects are now mostly unseen in society, which is why some people don't value vaccines anymore. No more iron lungs since the polio vaccine, for example.

Vaccines are essential in combating infectious diseases and their dreadful after-effects. If most people did not vaccinate their kids, you would soon see the carnage. Anti-vaxxers are benefiting from herd immunity via vaccination, which is why they have the "luxury" of not getting their kids vaccinated.

But an individual non-vaccinated child can still get the given disease, and suffer the consequences. Just like the Fifties all over again.

If you are weighing up sides regarding the MMR and don’t vaccinate, then you probably don’t have the skills to be weighing it up.

Having said that I can’t really get angry with parents that don’t vaccinate. For the most part they have been led up the garden path by someone else.

‘vaccine neutral’ doctors and dedicated anti vaxxers on the other hand…

Best not add deaths from Measles to that total then, eh?

But see that is a contradiction in itself. If a mum is weighing up risks, then she must have done some research, which is the sensible thing to do. As a mum of 3, first 2 vaccinated, my third only some vaccines, I can tell you I didn’t do a minutes research into vaccines with my first 2. I was so uninformed. It’s only when my 3rd became extremely unwell with her first vaccines and was taken into hospital, and the doctor told me that they are seeing more adverse effects, so much so, that his colleague at GOSH was writing a paper on it due to his concern, that it made me question vaccines.
I have looked into vaccinating, delayed schedules, risks of both, pages of data, for over a year now.The best thing you can read is research, not headlines.

You can source MMR privately, I have no idea where or how much it would cost though.

There is no harm to a child already having had chicken pox receiving varicella vaccine. You can’t over vaccinate and the antibodies from natural exposure essentially would “neutralise” the varicella component of MMRV.

The risk of febrile convulsions is low, and even if a child has a febrile convulsion it doesn’t cause harm. My advice to a parent would be to keep a close eye on their temperature and give paracetamol at a lower grade fever than you might normally consider, but you’d need to do this potentially for 2-3 weeks due to the nature of the vaccine which may not be workable.

Personally I’d take the potential for febrile convulsions over the risk from measles, mumps, rubella and varicella but that’s just me. As a student nurse I cared for a 15 year old left in a persistent vegetative state from measles encephalitis. It has stayed with me. 🙁

Do you have a literature review for your research that I could read?
I know it’s difficult if a child reacted to a vaccine, but for the vast majority the risks of vaccinating are lower.

@Sidge hoping you can help - is it ok for an 18 month old to have the MMRV for their second dose when they’ve already had two doses of the chickenpox vaccine privately?

I think using the term “seizures” is misleading because it’s a phrase usually associated with epilepsy which is undoubtedly and understandably going to put the fear of god into parents.

Febrile convulsions after vaccination aren’t epileptic seizures and don’t cause brain damage.

Sorry! I see you already answered here - thank you

@1990s yes absolutely.

There is no harm to a child already having had chicken pox OR previous varicella vaccine receiving a varicella vaccine. You can’t over vaccinate and the antibodies from natural exposure or previous vaccination essentially would “neutralise” the varicella component of MMRV.

Its very important for them to have their booster dose of the MMR components.

@1990s lol cross posted.

Hope that’s reassuring.