Doctors warn that measles can spread rapidly among unvaccinated children and cause brain inflammation, hospitalisation or the rare degenerative condition SSPE.
Measles is returning as a serious paediatric threat in Turkey, and doctors are warning that the disease is far more than a short-lived rash. Nurullah Dikmen, an infectious diseases specialist at Medicana International Samsun Hospital, said the recent rise in cases shows how quickly the virus can spread among unvaccinated children and how dangerous its complications can be. Public health guidance from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says measles is highly contagious and can lead to hospitalisation, brain swelling and death.
Dikmen linked the increase in infections to vaccine refusal and said years of successful immunisation campaigns had once brought the disease close to elimination. He argued that the current rebound reflects gaps in vaccination coverage rather than any weakness in the vaccine itself. The CDC says two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are about 97 per cent effective at preventing measles, and recommends vaccination as the best protection against both infection and serious complications.
The most alarming complication, Dikmen said, is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE, a rare but devastating condition that can follow measles infection. He described it as a disorder in which the brain’s functions are gradually shut down, leaving children with lasting damage. The CDC similarly warns that measles can cause encephalitis, or brain swelling, which may result in brain injury. Its guidance says about one in 1,000 people with measles develops brain swelling, and one in five may need hospital care.
Dikmen also stressed how easily measles can spread, saying exposure can happen simply by being in the same room as an infected person. Health officials say the virus travels through respiratory droplets and remains dangerous for young children, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems. For families, the message from clinicians and public health agencies is the same: measles should not be dismissed as a routine childhood illness, and preventing infection through vaccination is far safer than relying on treatment after the fact.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
