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Measles History

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In order to understand the importance of the MMR vaccine, a short history of the measles illness, measles vaccine, some complications of the illness and a brief look at the prevalence of measles will be provided. This information was researched through the National University library search engine, more specifically smart search. Proquest central and academic search premier were the two research databases used to research the topics using the following key words or phrases: measles, measles vaccine, and MMR. The search engine Pubmed was also utilized with the following key phrases: measles immunosuppression, measles, and measles vaccine.
Measles History
Measles can be traced as far back as the 7th century in references and then the 10th century …show more content…

This initial presentation of an upper respiratory infection can lead to a delay in diagnosis of measles and increase the amount of people exposed the disease. The symptoms can vary in presentation and include fever, general feeling of malaise, conjunctivitis, and cough (Strebel et al., 2008). Fever is typical and may last up to one week; this fever may reach up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Before the rash appears, koplik spots or coryza may appear in the patient’s mouth. These spots have a characteristic appearance as tiny blue-white spots on the bright red background of the buccal mucosa (CDC, 2015). The characteristic red rash associated with the measles does not usually appear until 14 days after exposure. The patient is considered infectious up to four days before and four days after the rash appears. The rash normally starts out in the hairline and spreads down the face, along the trunk, and extremities. The rash eventually reaches the hands and feet. The rash may start out as spots, but may merge and appear as overall redness. The rash will fade in the reverse order it appeared. The maculopapular rash is characterized by flat, red areas on the skin and initially the skin may blanch with fingertip pressure (CDC, 2015). The illness will lasts approximately 7-21 days, dependent upon the

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