Treatment of Measles

There is no treatment for measles, no wonder drug. There is only supportive therapy and PREVENTION. Measles is a preventable disease. So let’s first investigate the treatment options if you have already contracted the virus and then look into prevention.

Supportive treatment and possible side effects

Treatment	Purpose	Side Effects
Tylenol/Acetaminophen	Reduce fevers	Liver damage if taken in excess of 4g/day
Post-Exposure Vaccine	Within 72 hrs of exposure, reduce risk of developing measles/mitigate course of virus	May not be effective/hard to pinpoint exposure because takes a while for symptoms to appear
Post-Exposure Immunoglobulin	Within 6 days of exposure (and after 72 when vaccine is possible), reduce risk of developing measles/mitigate course of virus	May not be effective/hard to pinpoint exposure because takes a while for symptoms to appear
Antibiotics	Prevent superinfection from bacteria while immune system is compromised	GI side effects, allergic reaction, etc (depends on specific antibiotic)

Other supportive treatment includes bed rest, fluids, etc. In developing countries, Vitamin A supplementation is recommended but the science behind why is unclear.

Prevention- MMR VACCINE

The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) is a series of two injections. It is recommended that one dose is given at 12 to 15 months and the second dose be given any time after the initial injection plus 28 days (recommended to have second injection by school age). There is NO EVIDENCE behind the claim that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism.

You do not have to be a young child to get the vaccine, anyone can get it! There are some people who should not because it is a live vaccine. People who should not get the vaccine:

1.     Pregnant Women- no vaccine during pregnancy but recommended to get it after delivery. If vaccinated, advised not to get pregnant within 30 days of vaccine.

2.     Immunosuppressed- people with illnesses or treatment (ex: Chemotherapy or Prednisone- a steroid) that suppress immune system should got get the live vaccine.

It is important for those of us who can get the vaccine to do so because of the phenomenon called herd immunity. If there are individuals in the community who are not vaccinated (pregnant women and immunosuppressed), they are susceptible to infection. HOWEVER, if the majority of the population is immune, the disease will not spread.

Check out this video for more information:

References:

Barinaga, J.L., Skolnik, P.R. (2015). Prevention and treatment of Measles. UptoDate. Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/prevention-and-treatment-of-measles?source=machineLearning&search=measles+treatmnet&selectedTitle=3~150&sectionRank=2&anchor=H44#H930379

Measles – Treatments and drugs (2015). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/measles/basics/treatment/con-20019675