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The everyday impact of catching measles - or being a close contact

Even one case can cause major disruption: 

  • GP or A&E visits, possible hospital admission 

  • Isolation for cases and contacts (if there is a confirmed case of measles in a school, any close contact who has not been vaccinated will have to isolate for 21 days. This could prove very disruptive to a child’s education)

  • School or childcare closures for cleaning and tracing 

  • High costs: the 2012–13 Merseyside outbreak cost £4.4 million, 20 times more than prevention. 

 Outbreaks burden the NHS and local authorities and disrupt families, workplaces, and education.