If you think that your child may have measles, keep them away from other children for at least five days after the rash has appeared.
Vaccinated children and anyone who has already had measles are extremely unlikely to catch measles.
MMR vaccination
The first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine should ideally be given to babies who are between 12 to 13 months old.
Children are given a second dose (often known as the booster dose) before they start school, usually between the ages of three and five years old, although the second dose can be given three months after the first.
Between 5%-10% of children aren’t fully immune after the first dose. The second dose provides increased protection, with less than 1% of children remaining at risk after having it.
If a child younger than 13 months old is exposed to the measles virus, the action taken to prevent them developing the disease will depend on whether they are under or over six months old.
Children aged 6-13 months old
A child aged between 6 and 13 months who is exposed to the measles virus will normally be given the MMR vaccination to protect them from developing measles.
However, if a child is given the vaccine before their first birthday, they should still be given two further doses as part of the childhood vaccination programme. These doses should be given at around 13 months of age and before the child begins school.
Children aged under 6 months
If the child’s mother has had measles in the past, the child will usually be immune to the measles infection because the mother’s protective antibodies will have been passed to the baby in the womb.
However, if the mother has not had measles, the child may be given an injection of human normal immunoglobulin (HNIG). HNIG is not a vaccine. It is a special concentration of antibodies that can give short-term but immediate protection against measles.
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Preventing measles
