Measles in children and why it is important to vaccinate

POLOKWANE – With the current outbreak of measles, Local Toddler’s principal Henriëtte Grobler took a proactive approach and arranged a vaccination day at the school with the Department of Health.

The day was on a voluntary basis for parents and 31 children received their vaccination.

The Polokwane Review spoke to Dr Wilhelm von Ludwig about measles and vaccinations.

“Due to vaccinations, we do not know measles. Unfortunately, many other diseases are called measles, such as German Measles and Baby Measles, but these diseases have nothing to do with real measles. I have only seen a few cases of suspected measles and maybe one or two confirmed cases in the last decade. It is a serious disease that can lead to very serious illnesses, such as pneumonia, blindness, deafness, swelling of the brain and dehydration due to severe diarrhea.”

You might also want to read: Measles: Have your kids vaccinated, MEC advises

Children need to go for vaccinations in regular intervals during the first six years of their lives.

Von Ludwig it is important to get your child vaccinated as it protects against the disease in question.

“If enough people are vaccinated, it also results in the community being protected against the disease. In practical terms, if Peter’s vaccination didn’t work, due to reasons such as it was not kept cold at the clinic, but his whole class was successfully vaccinated, he will not get sick either.”

Von Ludwig adds that measles has a one in 5 000 death rate in first world countries and increases to one in 100 in poor countries. “Add this to the fact that measles is the most contagious disease on the planet, and you have a problem.”

Since exposure to viruses at schools is so much greater, the virus can spread more which is why it is important for children to be vaccinated.

“Any vaccination that has already been received counts. If possible, the intervals should be maintained. In other words, if the MMR was given late, the next one should not be given on the right date, but at the right interval. With some vaccinations it is important to consider the child’s age, certain vaccinations need lower doses in older children and some cannot be given, so it is important to evaluate each child on an individual basis.”

Most adults today were vaccinated against measles as children. If you suspect you have not been vaccinated, one dose should be sufficient, depending on the indication.

One vaccination of the MMR is 93% effective against measles and together with the second dose, it is 97% effective.

Interesting facts:

Vaccinations usually contain two elements:
• An infectious element that is a live attenuated virus or bacterium, fragments of the dead virus or bacterium or products derived from the virus or bacterium.
• Other ingredients that help with, among other things, preservation, and which help the body to react against the infectious element.