Measles

Disease risk areas
Worldwide, with lower incidence in countries with high vaccination rates

Transmission
Droplet spread from respiratory tract.

Recommendations for travellers
Children are advised to receive this vaccine as in Britain at around 15 months of age. When travelling to countries where measles is common in infancy (most of Africa and Asia) measles vaccine alone can be given from 6 months, but a booster should then ideally be given during the second year of life (using MMR vaccine)

Vaccination

A single dose of live attenuated virus vaccine (0.5ml) is normally given at 15mths of age.
A further dose is given as a pre-school booster.
Sometimes doubt exists as to whether previous vaccination has been given. In such circumstances an extra dose can usually be administered safely.

Side effects
(Always consult manufacturers literature).
Malaise, fever and a mild rash can occur 5-10 days after vaccination. Febrile convulsions and meningo- encephalitis occur rarely, much less frequently than after natural infection

Contraindications
Acute febrile illness,immunocompromise, pregnancy, previous anaphylactic reaction to eggs, allergy to neomycin and/or kanamycin. Pregnancy should be avoided for one month following vaccination.

Note:
Allergy to eggs or to hen's feathers, other than anaphylaxis or angioneurotic oedema, is not now considered a contraindication since the vaccine is produced in chick embryo/fibroblast cell cultures, not whole eggs.

Availability
Measles Mumps Rubella combined vaccine is available from Pasteur Merieux.
Single antigen measles vaccine or a measles/rubella vaccine may be available from Evans medical or Pasteur Merieux.

Human diploid cell measles vaccine
This is likely to have less side effects than the usual measles vaccine and can be used when this is a concern. It may be available from 'World Medicine' on a named patient basis.(020 8410 0700)

Measles/Rubella vaccine
A measles/ rubella vaccine is now available from Merieux UK Ltd. and can be used when mumps vaccine is not indicated. It is being used during the current campaign to give boosters to all school children.