"Vaccinating against Measles”

22/09/15

Two weeks ago a woman returning from India was admitted to Hillel Yaffe with measles. Apparently she hadn’t been vaccinated in the past. Last weekend, two brothers, who were also not previously vaccinated against measles, were admitted with symptoms of the disease. The woman’s children were exposed to the disease while visiting her. The diagnosis of measles was confirmed by a lab test, but since they were all in relatively good health, the children were released for follow-up observation in the community.

 Dr. Stein, the director of the infectious diseases unit and Dr. Adi Klein, the director of the pediatrics ward, both recommend receiving the inoculation.

Measles is an extraordinarily infectious disease. A person who has not previously been exposed to it and is not vaccinated will be infected at a rate that is close to 100%. The disease is characterized by fever, eye infections and a rash; symptoms that do not seem critical at first glance. However, ‘when there are complications, it could develop into pneumonia, meningitis and may even be fatal. Vaccination against the disease is imperative,” explains Dr. Stein.

The first signs of the disease are fever, runny nose and then a rash, which appears at first on the head and later spreads all over the body. It is important to be aware of the appearance of these symptoms, especially in children who have not been vaccinated. Prevent exposure to other people as much as possible and seek medical advice.

“Vaccination against measles is included in the regular vaccinations given by the State of Israel, and they have no significant side effects,” explains Dr. Klein. “The side effects that may appear a week after vaccination are mainly a low fever and rash which will disappear quickly.”

The most important thing, according to both these doctors, is that parents make sure to bring their children for all vaccinations included in the ‘basket’ provided by the Ministry of Health. Measles is an extremely contagious disease and presents a significant danger to health. It can be prevented through this simple inoculation, at no cost, at all public family health clinics.