Measles infection in Lothian

Measles cases have been confirmed in Lothian over the past month in teenagers and young adults.

Please do not send your child to school if they have any symptoms suggestive of measles infection.

Symptoms

The symptoms of measles include fever, lethargy, runny nose, conjunctivitis, cough and a red, blotchy rash which starts at the head spreading over the chest and limbs. The rash generally fades within ten days.

If your child has developed symptoms suggestive of measles, you should keep your child at home and contact your General Practitioner for further advice by phone (or NHS24 if out of hours on tel. 111).

This is very important in order to avoid the spread of measles to other people.

People with measles are infectious from around five days before the rash appears until four days after the rash appears and should self isolate at home during this time.

MMR

The best protection against measles is two doses of MMR.

http://www.immunisationscotland.org.uk/vaccines-and-diseases/mmr.aspx

NHS Lothian Health Protection Team October 2016