Measles, Mumps and Rubella

Measles, mumps and rubella are highly infectious diseases, spread between people through droplets in the air. Mumps can also be contracted through contact with the saliva of an infected person.

Measles

Infected people can spread measles a few days before the symptoms appear. It takes between 10 and 14 days for symptoms to show after infection.

Symptoms include:

  • rash;
  • fever;
  • cough;
  • runny nose; and
  • inflammation of the eye.

Complications of measles include ear, brain and lung infections, which can lead to brain damage and death.

Adults who have never had measles, or who were born after 1966 and have never been vaccinated against the disease, may require vaccination. Once proven immune, or you have received a booster vaccination, immunity is considered permanent.

Mumps

Caused by a virus, mumps is a salivary gland infection. It takes between 12 and 25 days for symptoms of this disease to show after infection. People may be infectious six days before symptoms develop and up to nine days after they go away.

Symptoms of measles include:

  • swelling under the jaw area;
  • fever;
  • headache; and
  • aching muscles.

Complications of the disease include serious infection of other glands and body parts, such as testicles, ovaries, pancreas, liver, brain and heart. Hearing loss can occur due to nerve damage and mumps can cause sterility in some men.

Rubella

Caused by a virus, symptoms of rubella take between 14 and 23 days after infection to show.

Symptoms are generally mild and may include:

  • a rash;
  • lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph glands); and
  • joint pain.

Complications are rare and include encephalitis (brain infection) and low levels of white cells and platelets in blood.

Becoming infected with rubella in the first 8 - 10 weeks of pregnancy can cause abnormalities in the developing baby. These can be severe and include deafness, blindness, heart defects and mental retardation. Luckily, it is a vaccine preventable disease and immunisation can reduce the number of babies born with abnormalities.

Screening/Vaccination Form

Complete the following form as a record of your screening and vaccination status and send to your school office. This form is in Adobe PDF format.