Measles Advice

Measles symptoms to be aware of include:

• high fever
• sore, red, watery eyes
• coughing
• aching and feeling generally unwell
• a blotchy red brown rash, which usually appears after the initial symptoms.
• the rash can appear differently on lighter and darker skin. 

Anyone with symptoms is measles advised to stay at home and phone their GP or NHS 111 for advice. 

Do NOT visit the GP before phoning as you may pass measles on to other people. 

Do NOT take your children to school or nursery or places where there are other people as they may pass measles on to other people.  Your GP will arrange for your child to be tested and provide advice on how to look after them.

The best way to protect yourself and your family is to have two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination. 

Children are given this just after their first birthday and when they are around 3 years and 4 months. 

If you or your children haven’t had two doses, you can have them at any time, at any age, for free. 

There is one type of the vaccine (called Priorix) that does not contain any pork ingredients and has not been in contact with any pork ingredients during manufacture.  Anyone can ask for this vaccination.