What are the recommended public health actions for a patient diagnosed with measles?

Recommended public health actions for a patient diagnosed with measles include:

• Immediate notification of the local Health Protection Team (HPT) is a statutory duty to enable surveillance and instigation of public health management including contact tracing ¹.
• Contact tracing and management of vulnerable contacts (such as infants under 1 year, pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals) must be undertaken to identify and protect susceptible individuals ¹.
• Seek specialist advice promptly for high-risk groups: children younger than 1 year, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people, due to their increased risk of complications and need for tailored management ¹.
• Advise the patient that measles is usually self-limiting but unpleasant, recommending rest, adequate fluid intake, and symptomatic relief with paracetamol or ibuprofen (avoid aspirin in children under 16) ¹.
• Advise isolation by staying away from nursery, school, or work for at least 4 days after rash onset to reduce transmission risk, and to avoid contact with susceptible people ¹.
• Provide written information about measles symptoms and when to seek urgent medical advice (e.g., signs of complications like shortness of breath, uncontrolled fever, convulsions) ¹.
• Assess immunization status and offer immediate MMR vaccination to susceptible individuals without contraindications, ideally within 3 days of exposure, to prevent further spread ¹.
• Consider post-exposure prophylaxis with immunoglobulin for vulnerable groups (infants under 6 months, pregnant women, immunocompromised) based on risk assessment by the HPT ¹.
• Follow-up may be considered about a week after rash onset to ensure symptom resolution, depending on clinical judgement ¹.