World Health Organization recognizes March 16 as Measles Immunization Day, which aims to provide awareness about this deadly disease.
Measles is extremely infectious which mostly strikes children and is generated due to a virus. There is no particular treatment plan available to manage the condition, however, a vaccine would definitely prevent measles.
Signs and Symptoms:
~ The first symptoms of measles are a high-grade illness that begins 10 days after exposure to the virus and lasts up to 8 days.
~ Runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, small flaws inside the cheeks are some other initial symptoms.
~ A blemish on the face, upper neck, hand, and feet lasts for a week before fading away.
Complications:
Measles created extreme plagues before it was invented in 1963. Measles deaths are affected due to difficulties connected with it. In critical cases, the harmful virus can cause blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, ear infections, respiratory issues, and pneumonia.
Who Is At Risk:
Children under the age of 5 are at a high risk of measles. Poorly nourished children suffering from a deficiency of vitamin A are also prone to infection.
Unvaccinated children are at high risk and the virus is still rampant in developing and underdeveloped countries.
Prevention:
The only way to stop measles is to get your child immunized. According to recent figures, around 84% of children worldwide get one dose of the vaccination before turning one year old.
The immunization resulted in the fall of measles deaths by 78% and has saved around 17 million young lives.
Measles vaccines are reliable, affordable, and are normally given along with rubella or mumps vaccine.
Treatment:
There is no special treatment possible for operating measles. Difficulties can be bypassed through good nutrition, antibiotics to treat ear, eye, and lung problems linked with the virus.
Children diagnosed with measles should acquire two doses of vitamin A supplements, in a span of 24 hours. It aids in restoring low levels of vitamin A and can limit damage to the eyes. Studies show that vitamin A supplements have decreased the number of deaths caused due to measles by 51%.