Measles advice given to parents

31 March 2009

We can confirm that a child who attended Sure Start and pre-school facilities in the Middleton area of Greater Manchester on 16, 18 and 19 March has since developed measles.

It is unlikely that the child was infectious when they attended the various facilities, but as a precautionary measure parents of children who attended at the same time are to be given information on measles and its symptoms.

Dr. Marko Petrovic, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control with the Health Protection Agency' s Greater Manchester Health Protection Unit, said: "Although we think that any infection risk would be small, we are alerting parents to the situation and advising them to seek medical advice if they suspect measles in their child."

Parents should seek advice by telephoning their GP surgery or NHS Direct, the 24-hour nurse-led telephone information service. They should not take children with symptoms to their GP surgery or local hospital accident and emergency unit where they might risk passing on infection to other vulnerable children.

Measles is an infectious viral illness that is spread by droplets in the air when infected people cough or sneeze.  The most common symptoms are fever, cough, sore eyes and a rash that develops 3-4 days after the onset of illness, starting with the face and head and spreading down the body. 

People are infectious from just before they become unwell to around 4 days after the onset of the rash. Those affected should stay off school or work for 5 days from the onset of the rash.

The most effective protection against measles infection is full immunisation with two doses of MMR vaccine. The doses are normally given at 13 months of age and just before going to school at age four or five.

Note to editors

More information is also available on the following websites:

http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk  (NHS immunisation information website)
http://www.hpa.org.uk (The Health Protection Agency Website)
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk (NHS Direct Website)

Press release issued by Hugh Lamont, Communications Manager, HPA North West, on 0151-482-5728 or 07764-906508.

Last reviewed: 31 March 2009