Measles exposure

[MunroMagic]

My DD (8mo) was in A&E on Sunday. She had burns to both lower legs caused by pulling a cup of tea down onto her. Fortunately she seems to be recovering well and is not in pain.

However, we received a telephone call from the Department of Health on Tuesday to say that DD had been exposed to measles while in A&E. I remember seeing a very sickly looking toddler in a buggy - parked in the corridor leading onto the waiting room. Goodness knows why the hospital didn't isolate that child.

Following their advice, we got DD the MMR vaccination on Tuesday, 48 hours after exposure.

I'm just wondering if anyone has been in this situation. How likely is that DD will develop measles despite being vaccinated? Or would it be less serious following vaccination?

Has anyone been advised about vitamin A supplements in the event of a case of measles? I know that the WHO recommend massive doses in developing countries, but I don't expect DD is malnourished.

The thought of DD developing measles at such a young age terrifies me. We've been given very little advice - the Department of Health, nurse administering the injection and the GP seemed to know very little.

Try not to panic Munro. The vast majority of children recover from measles with no complications. She may not even catch it anyway if she just walked by a sik child in a pram. Im sure they're nky notifying you as a precaution. Are you still breastfeeding? She may still have antibodies from you if she's only 8 months.

Sick only

Thanks Bumbley.

Unfortunately she was in the waiting room for at least 20 minutes. They had placed the sick child in the corridor linked to the waiting room without doors. So she was breathing the same air for quite a while. It seems that this is sufficient to pass on measles.

Yes we're still breastfeeding. However my understanding is that because I was against measles instead of catching it the antibodies which could pass to her aren't as strong.

Did you have measles as a child? If so I would expect her to still have antibodies from you (this is why MMR isn't usually given earlier than 13 months -passive antibodies from the mother interfere with the vaccine).

As for why the I'll child was is the waiting room? Madness isn't it. Ds1 (who has been vaccinated for those that know my children haven't in the main) had a measles like rash and ooh said they wanted to see him. They put us in a crowded waiting room. I went out and said 'er what are you doing?' and they put me in another waiting room with a baby. At which stage I lost the will to live. Luckiky it wasn't measles. Well supposedly - the doctor said it couldn't be measles because he'd been vaccinated

Ds2 btw was exposed to whooping cough at 3 months - big exposure. Supposedly babies only get limited passive immunity from whooping cough. He didn't get it. In fact he was pretty bad at catching any childhood diseases until after two (when I stopped breastfeeding).

Oh and yes I would give vitamin A - not megadoses as it can be toxic, but a little short term to ensure she isn't deficient. You (apparently) need the animal form (retinol) though for measles which is hard to find in supplements - because of it's toxicity (usually vitamin a is in the form of beta carotene). Cod liver oil will contain some, or if you search some of the specialist supplement manufacturers such as kirkman's you might find something. In the UK it might be worth contacting mandi mart. Her delivery is very quick and she will know what exists and what is suitable.

Thanks Jimjams. I've read some of your previous posts and hoped you would come up with something.

I was vaccinated against measles so haven't had it. My understanding is that the sort of immunity I have isn't as strong in terms of passing to babies, which is why younger babies are now at higher risk of measles.

I have some vitamin A drops ordered, in an emulsified form that is supposed to bypass the liver and prevent the risk of toxicity. A nutritionist has advised giving 50,000 iu on two consecutive days, then vitamin D on the 3rd day. Plus probiotic and a general multivit. I figure it's all I can do for the time being.

Ah glad you have spoken to a nutritionist.

Vaccine immunity is less 'reliable' for want of a better word, but if you were exposed as well then it should have had a nice little top up and you will now hopefully be passing antibodies (not sure how long it takes for the antibody boost after an exposure but I think it's quick). So some extra breastfeeds wouldn't do any harm either.

Tbh without circulating measles even naturally acquired isn't necessarily all that great at staying the course these days so there may not be a huge difference.

Yes I was exposed as well - that's very a very interesting point I hadn't thought of. It must help.

Hi Munro. I'm glad you got some good advice. :)

I think ds2 had it at 10 months. I'm not sure. He was diagnosed at the out of hours, which is basically next to A&E, by a doctor.

Had him swabbed and the tests came back inconclusive, apparently one of them was positive but as he was bf, it could have been from my antibodies (I had it as a child). So we're not sure.

I didn't give him the MMR after that, so he might still be at risk. But anyway I wanted you to know that from someone whose child possibly had it, it wasn't that bad...bit of an ear infection from it and gummy eyes, but he recovered quickly and is fine if a bit odd

Oh and I was 8 and I was Ok too.

Also i did not supplement his diet at all...he was still pretty much exclusively bf at that point, to my shame...he didn't take to weaning very well!

I had it aged 8 as well.It was quite common in the 70's. I remember feeling really ill for about 2 days but then being bored in quarantine. Although my mum had to go back to work so my friend's mum looked after me as her dd was off school with whooping cough. We watched the limited kids TV that was available and school programs and made a bunch of crafty stuff. Can you imagine now leaving a child with whooping cough and another with measles together? I also remember going into the local town with my friend's mum and my friend to a butchers. My friend kept having to be sick into tissues from her whooping. I put my hands up on the counter and my friend's mum said 'for goodness sake get your hands off the counter you've got measles' - then rolled her eyes at the person serving who rolled them back. Now? You'd clear the shop. I'm not sure the 70's were very clued up on quarantine

I can understand why you are worried btw but please don't think she'll automatically get it. I must have been exposed on several occasions before catching measles at 8, and with breastfeeding etc she will have antibodies. They won't count her as having been given the MMR btw as it only counts after 12 months (because of the likelihood of maternal antibodies interfering). But if you don't want her to have another dose in a few months you could ask for an immunity check.

Thanks all - very reassuring.

Jimjams that is a very good point about an immunity check. I hadn't thought to ask for that and assumed the usual MMR dose would need to be given (although the fairly incompetent nurse who administered it advised otherwise). I think I would worry that immunity conferred at 8 months wouldn't last for as long as immunity conferred at 13 months, but I suppose I could check that nearer the time.

Yes just check nearer the time. The concern at 8 months is that the passive antibodies sort of do their work on the measles vaccine so you end up with no immunity iyswim because your baby hasn't had to make any antibodies herself.

Nurses and the MMR is something I find baffling and intriguing...as soon as you make ANY noise whatsoever about not being sure you want your child to have it, it's like the nurse gets faded out and a prerecorded message comes out of her mouth.

I think they have had training to say ONLY certain things and this has kind of sideswiped any actual knowledge they might have had about the vaccine, the illness or when is the best time/how many doses are needed etc. It's so so strict now because the government interfered after the drop in uptake after the Wakefield thing.

I can't get an educated word out of anyone at our surgery about it. It's script or nothing.

Oh the whole thing is mad. Some dept of health bod actually wrote to me to tell me that there was no drop in MMR uptake post Wakefield (not just randomly obviously in reply to a letter I'd written to them). I think they forget what they said to who as that clearly is a complete contradiction of the spin official line.

But to stick up for nurses when I was asked the 'up to date with vaccinations?' question in A&E with ds3 and I started to explain why he hadn't had any the nurse who was doing the history taking held up a hand and said 'he's your child you do not have to justify your decisions to anyone'. I was grateful.