A-Z of Illnesses
Measles
What is it?
Measles used to be a very common disease. Nowadays because of vaccine injections it is much rarer. You get a runny nose, a cough, sore throat and small white spots inside your cheek. After a few days you become very hot (see temperature) and a rash spreads all over your body.
Treatment
Tell your doctor who will check you over. Keeping you cool, and lots of love are the best treatments, but most of us avoid it by being inoculated when we are babies. You must tell your doctor if you think you have it. We need to know how many people get it and count them.
How do you catch it?
Measles is a highly infectious virus spread by touch, coughing and sneezing. It takes from 7 to 18 days to appear. Stay away from school until four days after the spots first appeared.
