Uh-oh! Charley Got Spots!
When the Department of Health (DOH)
announces that there is a measles outbreak in NCR,
it’s enough to alarm every Mom in the Metro. In Charley’s playschool alone, a number of
Mommies have reported paranoia regarding this illness.
The worrier in me drove me to make several
phone calls back home asking whether permanent roommate and I have had measles
when we were kids.
What Measles is
Measles is a highly-contagious infection
caused by the Rubella virus. Kids with measles will experience high fever (40C
or worse) before the rashes appear. Infection may last for several weeks and
the best way to protect our little ones is to have them immunized against it.
(Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor. Please consult your little ones’ pediatrician for more
information.)
 |
| Doctor Charley is in! |
Prevention is always better than cure.
We’re glad that Charley’s awesome-ever, Dra.
Pam Caedo from Makati Med, is kulit
in updating Charley’s MMR + Chickenpox
vaccines and booster shots. Although,
these are some of the most expensive
childhood vaccines, these give us some peace of mind.
In a way.
Since measles is an airborne disease, Charley’s
weekend trips to public playgrounds and
malls have been limited. We didn’t want to take any chances of her playing
with sick kids who are irresponsibly allowed by their parents to play outside
with other unsuspecting kids.
We also teach Charley to wash her hands properly with soap and water
– a method I learned from an orientation in Makati Medical Center. Call me praning, but everyone in the household
is required to wash his or her hands after a trip to the bathroom, before and
after eating, and upon getting home from work or school.
Besides Growee (yeah, we’re still hoping
Charley would still be taller despite lacking necessary genes from us! J), taking Ascorbic Acid Ceelin
Plus with Zinc is a bedtime routine for her, too. I read from health sites (and
the leaflet inside the box, yeah I read that, too) that zinc helps protect kids
against diseases.
Yikes! My toddler has measles!
So imagine our horror when Charley had really high fever (41.4 C) over night.
When her fever subsided, her rashes (tiny, red spots) on her legs and arms
appeared.
My mind flashbacked to places we’ve been to
and people (yes, kids and adults alike!) that Charley interacted with for the
past week. We simply could not pin point
how and from whom she got measles.
Until somebody just casually mentioned,
“Yeah, my daughter got measles, too, when she was playing with Charley since
last week.”
Deep Breath
Believe me when I say it took a great deal
of effort not to give a death-glare (okay, maybe I did a little).
It helped that Charley was in no way lethargic during that time. I
think she was still riding her scooter at home while her mother was figuring
out how to deal with the situation. Or why-not-to-unfriend her tita.
My sister-in-law assured me that her kids
had measles, too, when they were in grade school. I remember they were less
severe probably because they were vaccinated, too.
No
scratch zone
We dressed Charley with light, comfortable
clothing. At times, she would wear cotton pants so she would not scratch her rashes.
Good thing Charley understood that she’s not allowed to scratch her “spots” so
they would not be infected.
At times, especially when we went out,
Charley would also wear face mask to avoid spreading the virus.
Water
Power
Charley took Paracetamol Tempra when she had fever. But even afer her fever had subsided,
she drank lots of water, not juice. She would regularly have water-breaks just
to make sure she was kept hydrated.
Business
as usual
Because Charley did not feel sick much and
she was on a “house confinement”, we allowed her to play in the house. Some of
her friends were allowed in the house, but with a stern “play-at-your-own-risk”
warning to their parents. We disclosed everything to them – 1) Charley had
measles, 2) She received her vaccines and booster shots, and 3) We’re doing
everything to sanitize the house before, during, and after their visits.
Yeah, that meant we sprayed Lysol in every
room. Every time.
We’re glad that Charley’s measles didn’t
last long. Nor was it severe.
Some Mommies asked me whether having their
kids vaccinated was still worth it since Charley still got measles despite her
vaccines and booster shots.
Yes.
Yes, it was.
