Treatment and Prevention
Like the common cold, measles is something that the body will fight off
and will go away with time. There are no drugs that can kill off the virus,
so the only useful treatments are those that help relieve symptoms. For example,
drugs like acetaminophen* can reduce fever and other symptoms. Cough or sore
throat medications may also help.
Malnourished children in developing countries are often given large doses of
vitamin A to shorten the length of the disease and reduce complications. In
North America, very few children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, so it's rarely
used here.
Over 95% of children vaccinated against modern measles are protected against
the disease. As far as we know, the protection is life long. In about 15%
of cases, people may get a very mild, non-contagious form of measles about ten
days after vaccination. This is due to the fact that the vaccine contains a
live but weakened strain of the virus.
For mothers who've already had measles, their newborn babies are protected
for about a year due to the transfer of special antibodies from the mother's
immune system. Because of this, the measles vaccine may not work in a child's
first year of life. The common practice in children is to vaccinate once at
12 to 15 months of age, and to give a booster shot at four to six years of age
(before they attend school). The measles vaccine is commonly given in the
same injection as mumps and rubella vaccine, in what is commonly known as MMR.
The vaccine can prevent measles from developing in people who have been exposed
to the virus, but it only works if it's given within 48 hours of exposure. Generally,
the measles vaccine isn't given to babies less than one year old, pregnant women,
or people with severely damaged immune systems. If a pregnant woman or newborn
baby is exposed to the measles virus, they're given a transfusion of immune
serum globulin. This contains special antibodies that defend the body against
the virus.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.