Measles: What are the symptoms and how to prevent it?

The cases of measles have been rapidly increasing in the last couple of weeks, the UK Health Security Agency warned.
Measles is a serious and highly infectious disease that can cause complications such as pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, and seizures.
It can even be fatal in rare cases. Between 2000 and 2022, 23 people died from measles or related infections in the UK.
The disease is caused by a virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can catch it by breathing in the droplets or touching them and then touching your nose or mouth.
People with measles are contagious until at least four days after the rash appears. They should stay away from others, especially babies and young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems, who are more vulnerable to the disease and its complications.
The symptoms include high fever, sore and watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, and feeling unwell.
Small white spots may also appear inside the mouth. A few days later, a red or brown rash develops on the face and behind the ears, and then spreads to the rest of the body. The rash may be harder to see on darker skin tones.
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The best way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. The vaccine is very effective and safe. It is usually given in two doses: the first one at 12 months of age, and the second one at around three years and four months, before starting school. This reduces the chance of getting sick with measles and spreading it to others.
If you catch measles, a serious viral infection, follow these steps to ease your symptoms and prevent complications:
Not enough children in the UK have received the MMR vaccine, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) targets. The WHO recommends that 95% of children should have two doses of the MMR vaccine by the time they are five years old. But in 2022-23, only 85% of children in the UK had received two doses, the lowest level since 2010-11.
This low vaccination rate has led to more outbreaks of measles in the UK. The most affected area is the West Midlands, especially Birmingham, where more than 200 cases have been reported in recent months.
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There have also been smaller outbreaks in some parts of London, where only 74% of five-year-olds have had two doses of the MMR vaccine.
In some areas, such as Hackney, nearly half of the children are not fully vaccinated. There are also small clusters of cases in other parts of the country.
In 2023, there were 1,603 suspected cases of measles in England and Wales, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This is a sharp increase from 735 cases in 2022 and 360 cases in 2021.
The UKHSA has issued a ‘call to action’ across the UK to encourage parents to vaccinate their children. Pop-up clinics are being opened at some schools to make it easier for parents to access the vaccine. Adults who have missed their vaccinations can also catch up on them by speaking to their GP surgery.
Muslim communities who do not eat pork products can ask for an alternative version of the MMR vaccine called Priorix from their GP. If the MMR vaccine is not suitable for someone who is at immediate risk of catching measles, they can receive a treatment called human normal immunoglobulin (HNIG), which can boost their immunity.