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Children In School And Measles Vaccine
Measles is a highly contagious illness with manifests itself in the form of rash, fever, cough, runny nose and flu-like symptoms. Measles is caused by a virus and as a result the illness usually goes away on its own without the aid of medication. However, a child who suffers from measles should be kept away from other children because of the contagious nature of the illness and he should have enough fluid intake and receive plenty of bed rest.
Most children receive measles vaccine as part of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine. They receive the measles vaccine at between the age of 12 and 15 months with a booster dose given again at 4 to 6 years. Usually children younger than 12 months are not given measles vaccine unless there is a measles outbreak.
If children have leukemia, tuberculosis, and lymphoma, they should not be given measles vaccine. That is why you should check with your child’s doctor on all the current information regarding measles immunization. If your child has a history of severe allergic reaction to gelatin or antibiotic neomycin, measles vaccine should not be given to him. In such cases, your child can be protected from measles by ensuring he receives a shot of gamma globulin within 6 days of being exposed to measles’ infection. This injection of antibodies will either prevent your child from getting measles or the symptoms of measles will be less severe.
At times, measles vaccine causes side effect even in children who do not have any health problems. In 10 percent of the cases, children end up with fever which develops 5 to 12 days after the measles vaccine is given while 5 percent of children might get a non-contagious rash which eventually will go away.
