More to gain from measles jab

THE Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) would like to state its stand on the current measles vaccination campaign among school children and to clarify a few points of concern that have been raised over the media. 

Firstly, measles is highly contagious and is a serious and debilitating childhood disease. During the acute stage, children may suffer serious complications like diarrhoea, pneumonia, convulsions, and meningoencephalitis that could lead to brain and lung damage, and even death. Senior doctors used to see a condition called SSPE, a delayed complication of measles where the child becomes progressively mentally retarded with abnormal movements and eventually becomes bed-bound.