Measles Q&As
Published by Bupa's health information team, May 2009.
Answers to questions about measles
This section contains answers to common questions about this topic. Questions have been suggested by health professionals, website feedback and requests via email.
- Are measles and German measles the same thing?
- Is it possible to die from measles?
- What is herd immunity?
Are measles and German measles the same thing?
No, they are unrelated conditions caused by different viruses.
Explanation
The two diseases can be confused, but there are differences between measles and rubella (German measles).
Measles is usually a more serious condition and you will probably feel more ill than if you had rubella. You may get small, red spots with white centres inside your mouth - Koplik spots - if you have measles. These aren't a symptom of rubella. The rash usually lasts longer (up to a week) if you have measles, whereas the rubella rash will probably only last for about three days. Rubella is generally a mild infection that is over quickly. It has few complications whereas those for measles can be severe, including death.
Further information
- Health Protection Agency
www.hpa.org.uk
Sources
- Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Fauci AS et al. Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 16th ed. USA: McGraw-Hill, 2005:1152-1154
Is it possible to die from measles?
Across the world hundreds of thousands of children die every year from the complications of measles, but it's rare for people in the UK to die from the disease. However, it's quite common to develop serious complications such as ear infections or pneumonia as a result of measles.
Explanation
Measles affects people throughout the world, including those who live in developed countries such as the UK. The number of people who catch measles is much higher in poorer countries where the health systems are weak. Across the world around a quarter of a million children die every year after catching measles. These children generally die from the complications that measles can cause rather than the disease itself.
In developed countries such as the UK it's rare for someone to die from the complications of measles. However, over the past few years the number of people who catch measles has started to go up in England and Wales. At the same time the number of children being vaccinated against it has fallen. There have been several outbreaks of measles over the last 10 years in places where the number of children being vaccinated is low. Two people have died in the UK from the complications of measles since 2006.
Complications of measles are quite common because the virus weakens the system that usually fights infection - your immune system. Four out of every five people who have measles will develop an ear infection and one in six will develop pneumonia. Other complications are rare but can be very serious.
Further information
- Health Protection Agency
www.hpa.org.uk
Sources
- Measles. National Travel Health Network and Centre. www.nathnac.org, accessed 19 October 2008
- Measles. Society for General Microbiology. www.sgm.ac.uk, accessed 19 October 2008
- Background information on measles. Health Protection Agency. www.hpa.org.uk, accessed 19 October 2008
- Measles deaths. Health Protection Agency. www.hpa.org.uk, accessed 19 October 2008
- Measles. GP Notebook. www.gpnotebook.co.uk, accessed 19 October 2008
What is herd immunity?
When you're immunised against an infection such as measles you help to build up immunity for your community as well as for yourself. This is called herd immunity. Herd immunity helps to protect the people around you who can't be immunised, for example very young babies and pregnant women.
Explanation
Herd immunity develops when you and others in your community are immunised. It creates a group resistance to an infection such as measles.
If you have been immunised, you're less likely to catch measles and therefore to pass it on to anyone else. If enough people are immunised, it will protect those who can't be immunised, for example, very young babies, children who have weak immune systems and pregnant women. For herd immunity to work a minimum number of people in every community have to be immunised. There are a number of factors which affect how many people need to be immunised.
The more infectious an illness, the greater the number of people who need to be immunised. Because measles is highly infectious, at least 95 out of every 100 people need to be immunised to create herd immunity. For diseases that are less infectious fewer people will need to be immunised to create herd immunity.
The environment that you live in can affect the number of people needed to create herd immunity. If you live in a crowded place, for example in an inner city, you're more likely to catch measles than if you live in the countryside. This is because you're in much closer contact with other people and it's easier for the virus to spread. The more contact you have with other people and the closer you live to them the more people will need to be immunised to create herd immunity.
As time passes the number of people who have been immunised gets bigger. As this happens the number of people who catch measles every year should fall until it's only a very few. For example, in Finland the number of children immunised was so high that nobody caught measles at all at the end of the 1990s. Many doctors are concerned that because fewer parents are having their children immunised against measles in the UK, herd immunity will stop working and there is a risk of a measles epidemic. If you have questions and concerns about having your child immunised against measles, speak to your GP or nurse for more information.
Further information
- Health Protection Agency
www.hpa.org.uk
Sources
- Vaccines and immunisation. Society for General Microbiology. www.sgm.ac.uk, accessed 19 October 2008
- Berger A. How does herd immunity work? BMJ 1999; 319:1462-1467
- Measles, mumps and rubella: prevention. BMJ Clinical Evidence. www.clinicalevidence.com, accessed 19 October 2008
Related topics
This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Bupa doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.
Publication date: May 2009
Rate this page
