Measles: information for parents and carers of Children and Young People in the Secure Estate (CYPSE)
Updated 7 June 2024
Applies to England
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Measles
Information on measles and vaccination:
- measles outbreaks happen when not enough people have been vaccinated
- measles can be a very serious disease, leading to ear and chest infections, fits, diarrhoea, and damage to the brain. Measles can kill
- your child is at risk of measles if he or she hasn’t had the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination
- 2 doses of MMR vaccine are needed to get the best protection
- if your child hasn’t had the MMR vaccine, healthcare staff can give it to them
- if you can’t remember if your child has had any, 1 or 2 doses of MMR vaccine, healthcare staff will be able to check for you
- if you don’t know how many doses your child has had, it’s better to have 2 doses of MMR vaccine now rather than risk leaving them unprotected
- some people don’t like needles – but don’t let a fear of needles stop you from being protected. It’s a very small needle and a small sharp scratch
Why we are seeing outbreaks of measles
Measles is a highly infectious disease, spreading quickly from person to person, especially in places where children and young people mix together. A child with measles will infect almost all unprotected children they have contact with. Since 2017 there has been an increase in measles globally which has affected the UK, especially in places where lots of people haven’t been vaccinated.
Side effects of vaccination
Your child may get the symptoms of measles, mumps and rubella for up to 6 weeks after the vaccination but in a very much milder form. This proves that the vaccine is working and your child is building up resistance to future contact with the viruses that cause the 3 diseases. Not all children show these symptoms but that doesn’t mean the vaccine isn’t working.
Parents or carers and vaccination
As with many diseases, once you have had measles, you don’t catch it again because you have built up a natural resistance to it. So, if you’ve had measles or 2 doses of MMR vaccine you do not need to get vaccinated now.
Download print copies
This guide is available as a PDF to download and print.