Could this be measles??

[bluebear]

I'm looking for reassurance.. There is an outbreak of measles at ds's nursery (west london). ds has had a snotty nose for the past couple of days but was in good spirits then last night was awake every half hour and feverish... fever continued all day today (despite calpol), also refused food since breakfast (drinking fine). I was thinking maybe flu/chest infection/tonsilitus and was going to take him to doctors first thing tomorrow but then remembered the measles outbreak.... he has had MMR.
What's the chance of him getting measles despite innoculation???
Just looked up symptoms and it seems the rash doesn't appear until after the fever goes so that doesn't help.
Advice/reassurance please

Measles usually starts with a barking cough. Before the rash appears - and in the snotty stage- white spots appear on the inside of the cheeks- known as koplik's spots- and about the size of the a grain of sand. These are diagnostic for measles and disappear with the appearance of the rash- which starts on the forehead and moves downwards.

Don;t anic though remember in the UK people have been catching measles for generations- and therefore there is good immunity to it. My medical book from the 1980's - pre MMR days basically deescribes measles as "usually mild"- which it is- whose main complicaiton can be treated with antibiootics if they arise. As your child has been exposed you could give some vitamin A. It needs to be proper vitamin A though- not carotene. DOn't go crazy on it - as in very high doses its toxic, but a short term supplementation won't do any harm. Best source for it is fish liver oil (so not efalex or eyeQ). You can give capsules, or break them open and mix with honey. Alternatively you can buy it with malt extract in health food shops. You can also gve homeopathic morbillinum.

Thanks Jimjams - He had got a nasty cough (forgot to mention that), will try and look for spots in cheeks - he isn't being very co-operative at the moment, poor thing has just cuddled up on my lap all day (have been breastfeeding baby rugby style to keep lap free for ds).
Am trying not to panic - just remembered - isn't the reason for the MMR booster (pre-school jab), the fact that the first jab doesn't give immunity to a certain percentage?
He's vegetarian, so can't give fish oil, Malt extract okay though, Thanks again.

oh no bluebear- it's not the malt extrat - I meant the cod liver oil is mixed in with malt extract. You can only get retinol (the proper vitamin A) from animal products. I'm not sure why it had to be retinol and not carotenes though, maybe that's just what the research was done on though. Is your son vegan? If not maybe eggs would be your best bet (nowhere near the levels in fish liver oils though).

Just browsed quickly- here's some info about vitamin A and measles.

If its any consolation my son had a very nasty cough and temp at the moment. Quite poorly with it. I did wonder if it was measles as quite a few of the children at nursery have developed rashes- dxed by different gps as rubella (it's not rubella though- seen that), virus and allergic reaction (!!). However my friend's unvaccinated son had it and he didn't get a rash so I know its not measles. Just an unpleasant cough.

I understood it was mixed with the malt extract - didn't realise it was from non-veggie source (got dim head on, v sleep deprived) - he's not vegan - dh is veggie so both kids are too.
Thanks for info.

Hope he's better soon. ( and my ds2 as well- I could do with a night's sleep- as could he!)

Hurrah - it was gastroenteritus combined with a bad cold (gastro symptoms started today) - poor boy, but least he hasn't got measles - yet.