Measles
Measles
Last update: 2022-06-07
Key facts
Measles is a very contagious virus that can make children very sick. In a community where no one is vaccinated, one person with measles can infect between 12 and 18 other people.
Transmission
- Coughing, sneezing or close personal contact (infected droplets in the air are breathed in by another person)
- Direct contact with infected nose or throat mucous
Symptoms
- Can start with high fever, runny nose, cold, cough, red and watery eyes and sometimes white spots inside the mouth.
- After a few days, a flat red blotchy rash appears, usually starting on the head, face and upper neck, and continues to spreads to the rest of the body.
- In severe cases, measles can cause blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
Prevention
- Routine vaccination of children
- Mass vaccination campaigns with social mobilization in countries where the disease is common and causes many deaths
- Rapid detection and referral of suspected cases to health facilities
- Reduced overcrowding in shelters
- Improved ventilation in shelters
- Separation of people sick with measles for four days after they develop a rash
- Coughing etiquette (cough into sleeve, handkerchief or tissue, NOT the hand)
- Handwashing with soap
- Social mobilization and behaviour change communication
Vulnerable people
- Children who are not vaccinated, especially those who are poorly nourished or have vitamin A deficiency
- Adults aged more than 20 years old
- Pregnant women
- Displaced populations and those living in cramped or crowded conditions
- People whose immune systems are compromised (for example, by leukaemia or HIV infection)
If an epidemic occurs
- Rapidly detect and refer cases to health facilities
- Support mass vaccination campaigns
- Isolate sick people (separate them from healthy people)
- Promote coughing etiquette (cough into sleeve, handkerchief or tissue, NOT the hand)
- Promote handwashing with soap
- Check nutritional status of children under five years old and promote nutritional support to those who are malnourished or sick
- Promote exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of life
- Increase social mobilization and behaviour change communication
- Reduce overcrowding in shelters
- Improve ventilation in shelters
Community-based assessment - questions
- When did people start to fall sick with measles?
- How many people have fallen sick with measles? Where?
- How many people have died? Where?
- How many people live in the affected community or area? How many children under five years of age live in the area?
- Who and where are the vulnerable people?
- Are children under five most affected? Or are other age groups, occupations, etc., more affected?
- Are children in the affected community vaccinated for measles or not?
- Is a vaccination campaign planned?
- Do strong cultural beliefs or perceptions about vaccination prevent children from being vaccinated?
- Where are the local health facilities and services? (Include traditional and community carers.)
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick
people? When babies and infants are sick, do mothers continue to breastfeed them? - Is a social mobilization or health promotion programme in place?
- Which sources of information do people use most?
- Are rumours or is misinformation about the disease spreading in the community?
Volunteer actions
25. Mass vaccination campaigns
24. Routine vaccinations
01. Community-based surveillance
02. Community mapping
03. Communicating with the community
04. Referral to health facilities
05. Volunteer protection and safety
12. Managing fever
13. Breastfeeding
14. Infant and young child feeding in emergencies
15. Measuring acute malnutrition in emergencies
16. Measuring the height and weight of children
17. Measuring mid upper arm circumference (MUAC)
18. Measuring oedema (water retention) in children
19. Psychosocial support
20. Isolating sick people
22. Vitamin A supplementation
26. Coughing etiquette
27. Shelter and ventilation
28. Social distancing
34. Handwashing with soap
43. Social mobilization and behaviour change