Our School Nurse is Sophie Beveridge. Contact: 07810 506700
email: sophie.beveridge@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Measles - January 2024
Measles is a highly infectious viral infection. Symptoms include a runny nose; cough; conjunctivitis (sore, itchy, watery, red and sticky eyes); high fever and small white spots (Koplik spots) inside the cheeks. Around day 3 of the illness, a rash of flat red or brown blotches appear, beginning on the face, behind the ears and spreading over the body. The incubation period is between 10 to 12 days but can vary from 7 to 21 days.
Measles is highly infectious and transmitted via airborne or droplet spread, or direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected persons. Cases are infectious from 4 days before onset of rash to 4 days after, where the date of the rash onset is day 0.
The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is the safest and most effective way to protect against measles. People need 2 doses of MMR to be protected against measles, mumps and rubella.