A mother has issued a warning to parents after her son contracted highly contagious measles - despite him being immunised twice for it.

Helen Spilsbury, 33, says that she first noticed an itch on her son Jack on Sunday evening and thought it was a heat rash.

But by Monday the Manchester schoolboy was covered with it and was scratching all over his body.

Manchester Evening News reports that after a visit to the chemist, staff initially thought the eight-year-old might have hand, food and mouth disease

However a trip to see the doctor on Tuesday confirmed that Jack had measles - and it was the worst case he had ever seen.

Helen was shocked because Jack has had both MMR jabs when he was younger - giving protection against measles, mumps and rubella.

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She said: "Even at the doctor's the nurse first thought it could be either hand, foot and mouth or slap cheek as they'd seen recent cases.

"After looking a bit more they realised it was measles and the doctor said it was the worst case he's seen."

She added: "When they first said it looks like measles I just thought it can't be. I was really surprised because he's had both jabs against it."

Helen, who works at Aldi in Clayton but is off sick with sciatica, called her son's school, Holden Clough Primary in Ashton, to warn them about the case and has told anyone that Jack had been in recent contact with.

They've been told to avoid contact with people for seven to 10 days.

She said: "Jack seems OK really apart from his rash. He's got a bit of the sniffles and a cough and a little lump on the back of his ears, which are really hot, but apparently that's all part of the illness.

"We just hope it doesn't spread to anyone else. There's me and my husband Stuart in the house and also my 96-year-old dad Ron so we're trying to keep Jack away from him as much as we can."

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THE CAUSES, THE SYMPTOMS, THE TREATMENTS

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Public Health England warns that measles is 'a very infectious virus and can spread rapidly among communities, such as schools, if people have not been fully immunised'.

A spokesman said there's 'no evidence to suggest measles is circulating in Greater Manchester' and said that when GPs notify them of a suspected case, a swab kit is issued and laboratory testing is arranged.

Manchester GP Dr Usman Choudry, GTD Healthcare’s urgent care clinical lead, warned parents that although many children have been immunised, there is still a small chance that they can contract the virus.

He said: “It's extremely unlikely to get measles after two doses of MMR immunisation. Having both jabs is believed to give up to 99% protection so there is a very small chance of getting measles but the immunisations give considerable protection.”

Measles begins with fever that lasts for a couple of days followed by a cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis (red, sore eyes). The rash starts on the face and upper neck, spreads down the upper body and then extends to the arms, hands, legs and feet. After about five days the rash starts to fade.

An unpleasant illness and easily passed from one person to another, in some people it can cause complications, such as ear infection, chest infections and even pneumonia. In very rare cases some people who get measles can develop serious complications, which can be fatal.

Public Health England advises people with symptoms of measles to...

• Stay away from school, nursery or work until five days have elapsed after the onset of a rash.
• Telephone your GP or NHS walk-in centre before attending so that arrangements can be made for you to be treated in a separate area to prevent spread to other vulnerable patients.
• Avoid contact with people generally, but particularly babies, pregnant women and anyone who is known to have poor immunity to infection.

Children are offered two doses of MMR vaccine. The first dose at age 12 to 15 months and the second aged four to six.

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