What is measles, why and how it spreads, things to do if child has measles
Recently, many parents have been visiting health centres and hospitals with children suffering from fever and skin rashes. A significant number of these cases have been diagnosed as measles. Outbreaks have already been reported in several districts across the country, along with a number of child fatalities. This situation has raised concern among parents, pediatric specialists, healthcare workers, and the administration alike. It is also receiving widespread attention in the media. In this context, it is important to understand what measles is, why and how it spreads, and what steps to take if a child contracts the disease.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the ‘rubella’ virus. It typically presents with high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and about four days after the onset of fever, a reddish rash that begins on the face and spreads across the body.
The rubella virus enters the body through the respiratory tract and temporarily weakens the child’s immune system.
As a result, children with measles become more vulnerable to secondary infections caused by bacteria and other pathogens.
Possible complications of measles
Measles can lead to several complications, including pneumonia and severe diarrhoea.
Additionally, the infection significantly depletes vitamin A stores in the body. This can result in reduced tear production and dry eyes, potentially leading to night blindness and even permanent blindness.
Other complications may include ear infections, mouth ulcers, severe malnutrition, and inflammation of the brain, among others.
How measles spreads
Measles is very contagious. The virus spreads rapidly through coughing and sneezing. A single infected child can quickly transmit the virus to many healthy children nearby, allowing it to spread widely within a community.
Measles vaccination
Under Bangladesh’s national immunisation programme, children under five years of age receive the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine in two doses: the first at 9 months and the second at 15 months.
According to the latest data from 2025, 88 per cent of children under five in the country have received both doses of the MR vaccine, providing them with long-term protection against measles.
Why measles occur despite vaccination
Despite the availability of two doses of the vaccine, outbreaks still occur. This is largely because many children in certain areas remain unvaccinated or have received only one dose, often due to not being taken to vaccination centres.
These unvaccinated children are at higher risk of infection and can also contribute significantly to the spread of the disease.
In some cases, even vaccinated individuals may not develop sufficient protective antibodies, leaving them susceptible to reinfection.
What parents should do
If a child develops fever and a rash, whether it is measles or not, parents should seek advice from a physician promptly.
From the onset of the rash, the child should be kept isolated from others for at least five days.
During this period, normal care should continue, including adequate food, fluids, and general support.
According to a physician’s advice, the child should also receive appropriate medication, including antibiotics if necessary, and two high-dose vitamin A capsules on consecutive days, in age-appropriate doses.
If a child with measles shows any danger signs — such as difficulty breathing, repeated vomiting, convulsions, lethargy, cloudy pupils, or severe mouth ulcers — they should be taken to hospital immediately.
There, the child should be placed in a separate ward or cabin and provided with appropriate treatment.
If a child with measles experiences vision problems, difficulty seeing or cloudy pupils, an additional dose of vitamin A (making a total of three doses) should be administered on the 14th day.