Measles, also called rubeola, is a very contagious virus. The virus lives in the mucus from an infected person's nose and throat. It spreads easily from person to person through coughing and sneezing, can stay in the air, and remains infectious for up to two hours. This means that if you enter a room where someone with measles coughed or sneezed up to two hours earlier, you could still catch the illness just by breathing the air.
A person with measles can spread the virus from four days before to four days after a rash appears. The most common symptoms of measles include fever, tiredness, cough, runny nose, red or itchy eyes, Koplik spots (which are small white spots in the mouth), and a raised rash. It usually takes about seven to 21 days after being exposed to the measles virus for the symptoms to show up.
Source: https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/womens-health/2019/may/measles-in-pregnancy-faqs
Getting measles while pregnant can lead to serious problems. Pregnant people who get measles are more likely to be hospitalized and get pneumonia. The infection can also harm the baby, leading to risks like: miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight and higher chances of giving birth early.
Measles can also cause serious disease in newborns, whose immune systems aren’t fully developed yet.
The measles vaccine is the best protection against measles for you and your baby. S
Finding out if you are immune to measles is a good idea if you do not have documentation of a prior measles vaccine (MMR) or are planning to become pregnant or are currently pregnant. Your provider can order tests to determine whether you are immune to measles as part of a routine workup.
1. Vaccination records:
a. In the general population, documentation of one dose of the MMR vaccine is enough to assume immunity.
b. High risk individuals (including health care workers, college students, and international travelers) should have documentation of two doses of the MMR vaccine to assume immunity.
2. Previous measles infection (with documentation of definitive diagnosis). Once someone has been infected with measles, they develop lifelong immunity to the virus. A previous measles infection protects against future measles infection.
3. Measles antibody test: For individuals that are unsure about their measles vaccination status or whether they have previously had measles, it is possible to ask your medical provider for a measles antibody test. This is a blood test that measures the level of antibodies to measles, mumps, and rubella. If this test returns positive, this means that you are immune to the measles – either through previous vaccination or infection. If the test is negative, this indicates a non-immune status meaning you have not been previously vaccinated or infected. If your test results indicate immunity, then there is no need to consider further vaccination.If the test results indicate no immunity to measles, then the steps moving forward will depend on if you are pregnant or not.
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Pregnant individuals SHOULD NOT receive the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine can then be given immediately after delivery. MMR vaccine is safe in breastfeeding individuals.
The MMR vaccine contains live viruses, which means it has a weakened version of the living viruses. Live vaccines are not recommended during pregnancy.
Non-pregnant individuals considering becoming pregnant who are not immune, SHOULD receive the MMR vaccine and then wait at least 4 weeks to attempt conception.
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