Measles … I don’t understand!

[dol1]

Dd has had the vaccine at 12 months. I’ve been watching news and there is apparently a ‘surge’ in cases now. The second vaccine for it isn’t until she’s 3… does this mean she could well get measles between now and then?

Measles has the potential to kill ANY child. Roald Dahl's daughter died from measles related encephalitis. My dad, who was a robust, country lad, is nearly blind from having it aged 9 in the 60s. It is one of the scariest illnesses, I genuinely cannot fathom the ignorance behind exposing your children to it without the FREE protection we are so, so lucky to be offered.

Rant over sorry. 😂

It was similar when I started my training, we were all vaccinated against hep b and I know of a few in my cohort that were non responders to that too and came back without sufficient immunity despite vaccination.

The reason why people undergoing a transplant are vaccinated against Hep B once/ twice again before the transplant, despite having received their 3 doses as children. The vaccines work for the majority of people but in some exceptional cases, they are not enough to counter their own immunity system.

My son contracted measles when he was 18 months (from nursery) after having the first dose of the vaccine. He was very poorly in hospital and it scared the life out of me. The doctor told me it was a result of poor herd immunity levels in the local community, so even though he'd had his jab, other people refusing had caused his illness. I have little time for people who won't vaccinate as a result.

I had encephalitis as a complication from measles when I was 2. I am fully deaf in one ear as a result. I think I am lucky that I did not die.

I’d agree it swipes your slate clean.
I’d built up a really robust immune system as a teacher, but after measles I really did catch every thing like an NQT

You mean Chicken Pox, not measles!

Does anyone know if you can get a third dose? I saw the nurse recently who told me that I have only had the one dose and offered the second. My mum was pro vaccine so would have got everything I needed to, but she can’t find my red book to check. This would have been almost 40 years ago so it’s not impossible the electronic notes are wrong but the app does list all my other childhood vaccines. So wondering if a third dose (if I had the second) is ok.

Yes, but that doesn't mean these parties didn't happen.

Hmm I was vaccinated against it but also caught it and badly. 3 weeks in darkened room. Spots on eyes and left deaf in one ear

Pre vaccination, we had a large network of isolation hospitals that helped to contain some of the more deadly childhood illnesses. We also had a little more respect for the seriousness of the diseases. Everyone would have known someone who had lost a child to measles or diphtheria so if there was an outbreak in your household then you would play by the rules and isolate.
My DM caught measles off her brother by sharing comics, her brother was very poorly and ended up in hospital whereas my DM was nursed at home.

I caught measles when I was 4, along with my 3yr old sister. My DM was a nurse so was happy to nurse us at home. She set up camp beds in the living room so she could keep an eye on us, I don’t think she slept for a week. My youngest sister was 2-3mnths old and had a mild dose fortunately. My DM had nursed children with most of the childhood illnesses, so must have been going through hell with all of us infected at the same time.

My DM had seen a lot of measles damaged children and a good few deaths. She said that diphtheria was probably the worst disease to nurse. As a midwife she had seen babies born to mums who’d had rubella during pregnancy.
She would have loved Call the Midwife because it was exactly the same period that she was a midwife. Unfortunately she died 28 yrs ago so never got to see the series.
Her stories of motherhood, pregnancy, birth and disease are exactly the same as the series portrays, although if she had written the books it would have been based in a northern mill town. The series very accurately portrays the panic that accompanied measles outbreaks pre vaccination.

And no there were never such things as measles parties. Women back then were all too familiar with the mortality rates associated with measles.

No she means measles.

Some people don't realise that some people's parents where born near or at the beginning of the last century, and told them such stories. (My parents and old friends didn't they saw enough death of relatives and friends in childhood.)

People used to believe all sorts about the spread of diseases and now people, who should know better, spread nonsense about vaccines.

My daughter is the same Full MMR as a kid. No rubella immunity on first pregnancy. Another jab after the birth. 2 Nd pregnancy no immunity. Another jab. 3 rd pregnancy no immunity

As well as the potential for immediate complications from measles, there's the terrifying possibility of SSPE - very rare but absolutely devastating, and manifests years, sometimes many years and occasionally decades, after the initial infection.

It's really not a disease to take lightly, at all. My middle child didn't have his first dose of measles vaccine until around 19 months (various reasons), and two months later he had a brief faint rash and a slight fever. I still worry on and off that it was a very mild case of measles and he might yet develop SSPE, and he's nearly 17 now.

It depends where you live.

In some areas of London before COVID they were offering adults MMR due to them being born before it was given.

If offered and you aren't sure take it.

My daughter caught measles as a baby before her vaccination was due. She has no hearing at all in one ear. Of course we cannot prove it was measles, but this is typical of the nerve damage that is a permanent effect of measles. It’s not just survive or die. Many survivors have lasting damage.

It would be wonderful if the only people who caught these diseases were the ones who choose not to be vaccinated, but life’s not fair is it

@curious79

That it's dreadful advice and needs to be pulled from the thread

Measles is very dangerous and can cause brain damage deafness. Meningitis as along a few of its complications as well as death.

My advice is don’t ask for medical advice off Mumsnet. If you are concerned ring your GP. As you can see MN is full of people peddling false information and can’t be relied upon.

Apparently anti-vax sentiment is not a main driver of the current outbreak. That remains a problem but has declined somewhat.

Many families had trouble accessing vaccines during Covid, and now that their children are beyond the usual age for it, prompting them to catch up isn't on the radar. Overstretched NHS services also mean that getting an appointment can require some persistence and inconvenience. Parents who are barely coping with the cost of living crisis, working long hours and juggling many responsibilities, can't always prioritise non-urgent healthcare. Drop-in weekend clinics at locations which are easy to reach would go a long way to help increase uptake.

In the 50s and 60s there were also measles
partied. By my generation - 70s - it was only chickenpox. measles still didn't have the same aura of fear it has today though.

Uk 50's and 60's definitely, also chicken pox parties. My parents didn't agree with them so we never went.

Yep, stupid shitty selfish people playing Russian roulette with our children's lives

I had measles as a child in the 60s. What felt like an eternity of lying in a totally blacked out room because of the risk to eyesight. It was taken seriously but of course by then there were antibiotics to treat infection developing from it (obviously not given at first because viral)

Yes, she should and if she did get measles, which you can even after being vaccinated, it is very mild and soon gone. I did and so did my son.

I do remember several years ago when there was another spate of it going round my son was in the period in between 1st and 2nd vaccines and they were offering all kids who hadn't had 2 doses another one - several people who I had been in school with were taking their children who had never had MMR to have it which surprised me (but then the whole Andrew Wakefield fiasco was when we were about 20 so it had obviously influenced them)

I did consider giving my son the extra dose - but then they said he would still need the booster dose when it was due as they were spaced that far apart for a reason to ensure maximum effectiveness

angrymum thank you angry mum. I'd like to know where the guardian journalist got the research from for writing their story about measles parties. It also goes to show how news articles need to be taken with a pinch of salt, when it comes to accurate reporting.