01/04/2026
Measles : It is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects children but can occur at any age. It spreads easily through air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
🔬 Cause
√Caused by the Measles virus
√Belongs to the Paramyxovirus family
Spread by:Airborne droplets (coughing, sneezing)
√Direct contact with nasal/throat secretions
⚠️ Symptoms
✔Symptoms usually appear 10–14 days after infection.
✔Early symptoms (Prodromal phase)
✔High fever
✔Cough
✔Runny nose (coryza)
✔Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
✔Koplik spots (small white spots inside the cheek)
Later symptoms
✔Red rash starting from face → spreads to body
✔Persistent high fever
☞ WeaknessVitamin A doesn’t stop the measles virus from entering the body, but it plays a big role in reducing severity, complications, and death from measles.
🧠 What’s really going on
1. Maintains epithelial integrity
Vitamin A keeps the skin and mucosal lining (respiratory, gut, eyes) healthy.
Measles damages these linings
With enough Vitamin A → better barrier → fewer secondary infections
2. Boosts immune response
It supports both:
Innate immunity (first-line defense)
Adaptive immunity (T-cells, antibody production)
So the body fights the measles virus more effectively.
3. Prevents complications
Vitamin A deficiency is strongly linked with:
Severe pneumonia
Diarrhea
Eye damage (xerophthalmia → blindness)
Supplementation reduces these risks.
4. Reduces mortality
According to the World Health Organization, giving Vitamin A to children with measles can reduce death rates significantly, especially in deficient populations.
💊 Vitamin A Dose in Measles
👶 Age-based dosing:
< 6 months → 50,000 IU
6–11 months → 100,000 IU
≥ 12 months → 200,000 IU
📅 Schedule
1st dose → Day 1 (on diagnosis)
2nd dose → Day 2 (after 24 hours)
3rd dose → After 2–4 weeks (only in severe cases or complications)
⚠️ Important point
Vitamin A = It is a supportive treatment
The actual prevention of measles is by vaccination → MMR vaccine
