Year 6 Term 4 2019

This term Year 6 have been writing non-chronological reports about measles, which links to our class text, Tom's Midnight Garden.

Mila (6JF)

Measles

Measles are highly contagious and infectious. Sadly, in 2017, about 110,000 people died because of this. This disease was first recorded in 1757 and cured in 1954. Thankfully, people were getting vaccinations, but since they injected a bit of the disease into the vaccination, so they can fight it and be immune to it, 21.1 million people die because of it. Major epidemics occurred approximately every 2-3 years.  

Is there a cure for measles? 

There are no prescriptions/medications for measles. Although this disease will typically disappear within 2-3 days or in a fortnight. However, your doctor may recommend acetaminophen to relieve fever and muscle aches. It is recommended to stay at home and keep out of touch with other people/children as they may catch this disease. Also, fever reducers or other medications may help ease / cure measles. 

Symptoms 

The symptoms to measles are fevers, seizures, rashes, diarrhea, headache, vomiting, dizziness, joint or muscle pains, nausea, bruising, mood changes, runny or blocked nose, sneezing, watery eyes, swollen eyelids, sore red eyes, small greyish-white spots in mouth, coughing, lack of appetite, tiredness, irritability and general lack of energy. 

At what age can you get measles? 

On average, you can get measles at under 5 years old or over 30 years old, but this is not always true. This disease can also be spread especially to older infants who are not vaccinated yet. You can even get measles when you are vaccinated! 

What causes measles? 

Measles are cause by an infection the rubeola virus. The disease is only contagious approximately 4-5 days after you catch the measles. You can also get measles by touching a surface infected with mucus and then putting fingers into the mouth or rubbing eyes or nose. This virus lives in the mucus of the nose and throat. Also, you may catch the measles by physical contact with an infected person. Also, the infection can be caught by someone sneezing, coughing or even talking. 

How do you prevent measles? 

To prevent measles, children 12 months of age or older should have 2 doses of MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella), separated by at least 28 days. 2 doses of MMR vaccine are nearly 100% effective at preventing measles. A dose of MMR can also be given to anyone over 6 months if at risk of catching measles, such as an outbreak of measles in a local area, contact with someone who has measles, planning on travelling to an area where infection has spread widely. 

What is the difference between measles and chicken pox? 

Measles and chicken pox are the most common diseases for children. Although they have a lot of similarities, they are caused by two different viruses. The paramyxovirus and varicella zoster virus. Also, a distinct difference between these two diseases is that chicken pox results in spot and sometimes bruises, however measles result in rashes and all the other symptoms as mentioned. Also, having measles is much more dangerous as this could be life threatening.  

Can adults catch the measles? 

Measles has a low death rate in healthier children and adults. Risk of complication is higher in children and adults with weak immune systems. You cannot get measles more than once so after you catch the disease, you are immune for life! 

Glossary 

Contagious- spread from one person or organism to another, typically by direct contact. 

Infectious- liable to be transmitted to people, organisms, etc. 

Epidemics- a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease. 

Vaccination- treatment with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease. 

Acetaminophen- a drug used to treat headaches, arthritis, etc. 

Rubeola virus- a scientific word for measles. 

Paramyxovirus- a type of virus. 

Varicella zoster virus- known to infect humans, causes chickenpox. ​

Josh (6JF)

Thursday 14 March 2019 

L.I:  To write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences. 

Measles 

Measles [or rubella] is a viral illness of the respiratory system. It is a highly contagious disease that damages the respiratory system. It is transmitted when one person sneezes or coughs into the air around them and another person that breathes that air in. A vaccination of a small amount of disease helps the body build an immunity towards.  

Why are measles deadly   

Measles is a deadly illness respiratory [ in the lungs and breathing tubes] that courses major rashes and fevers. Measles can be unpleasant, it will usually clear within 7-10 days without severe problems. But it can lead to potential life-threatening complications in most people. Once you have had measles, your body builds an immunity [resistance] towards the virus and its highly unlikely to contract it again. 

Symptoms 

Measles start with cold-like symptoms that develop around 10 days of being infected. Tis is followed a few days later by the measles rash. A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage. Most measles death related deaths are caused by complications associated with the disease. Serious complications are more common in children under the age of 5, or adults over the age of 30. The most serious the most serious complication includes blindness, encephalitis, an infection that can cause brain swelling. 

Prevention and cure  

Routine measles vaccination for children combined with mass immunisation campaigns in countries with high case death rates, are key public health strategies to reduce global measles deaths. The measles vaccination has been in use for over 50 years. It is safe, effective and inexpensive. It costs approximately one U.S. dollar to immunise a child against measles. The measles vaccine is often incorporated with rubella and/or mumps vaccine. It is equally safe and effective in the single or combined form.  

Transmission 

Measles is one of the world's most contagious disease to be created. You can contract by breathing in the air which someone with measles coughs in or sneezes in. The virus remains active and contagious in the air or infected surface for up to two hours. It can be transmitted by an infected person from four days prior to the onset of the rash to four days after the rash erupts. You can retrieve the illness by major contact with infected nasal or throat secretions. 

Myths about measles  

Right now, there is no endemic measles in the U.S., that means there are no measles in some places of the world. The only outbreaks we have had in the past few years. 

Kristina (6JF)

Thursday 14th March 2019 

L.I: To write effectively for a range of purposes 

Measles 

 With everything you need to know! 

Overview 

Before the introduction of the MMR vaccine in 1963, measles was, and still is, a very contagious, life-threatening disease. But, of course, like most diseases and illnesses, it can be prevented. Once you contract the disease and healed after 7-10 you cannot get the disease again as your body builds an immunity to it. If you decide to get the cheap, effective MMR vaccine, by statistics, 7% of people contract measles, mumps or rubella (German measles) after getting the vaccine. (Still vaccinate!) Approximately 110,000 people died from measles in 2017, which has decreased by 80% since 2000, when the estimate measles deaths were a soaring 545,000! (Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, most deaths were from children under the age of 5.)  

What is it? 

Rubeola, or more commonly known as measles, is an infectious viral disease, causing fever and a red rash, typically occurring in childhood. It is caused by an air-borne virus in the paramyxovirus family. Measles is an infection of the respiratory system; it proceeds to rapidly spread throughout the body. You can find out more, further below.  

Symptoms 

Just a warning, early measles symptoms are very similar to flu symptoms, be careful! After 10-12 days after contracting the disease, you will start to get a fever, going up to 40°C (104°F). Other symptoms are: 

•A runny or blocked nose. 

•A fever that can go up to 40°C (104°F)- already mentioned. 

•Sneezing. 

•Watery eyes. 

•Swollen eyelids. 

•Sore, red eyes that may be sensitive to light. 

•Small, greyish-white spots in the mouth (Kolpik’s spots). 

•Aches and pains. 

•A cough. 

•Loss of appetite. 

•Tiredness, irritability and general lack of energy. 

If said person has these symptoms, said person should consult their GP, just don’t infect anyone, we don’t want another epidemic!  

Treatment 

There is no cure of prescription to treat measles, however, measles typically disappears after 7-10 days. But your GP may recommend: 

•Plenty of fluids. (6-8 glasses of water a day) 

•Vitamin A supplements. 

•Humidifier to ease cough and sore throat. 

•Rest to help boost your immune system. 

•Acetaminophen to relieve fevers and muscle pain. 

What causes it and how it spreads 

As said before, measles is caused by the rubeola virus in the paramyxovirus family, it’s also called the measles virus. The virus lives in the mucus of the nose and throats of said infected adult/child. The disease is still contagious 4 days prior to rashes appearing, it continues to be contagious 4-5 days post rashes. Infection spreads by: 

•Being in close vicinity to an infected person(s) when they breathe/cough/sneeze. 

•Touching a surface with infected mucus droplets, then, rubbing the eyes or nose, or putting your fingers into the mouth. 

•Physical contact with an infected pupil(s) 

And many more. 

The difference between chicken pox and measles 

First off, measles and chicken pox are both contagious diseases, but they’re caused by two different viruses. Chicken pox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is in the herpesvirus family. Meanwhile measles is caused by the more commonly known measles virus, but it has the name of the rubeola virus. The symptoms for both are: 

Chicken Pox:                                                                                                      Measles: 

•Fever.                                                                                     •Fever  

•Headache.                                                                   •Red, blotchy rash (first starts on the forehead/scalp) 

•Tiredness/fatigue.                  •Conjunctivitis (pink eye/ red, inflamed eyes that may be sensitive to light) 

•Decreased appetite.                                                          • Koplik’s spots in the mouth. 

•Red spots first appear on the chest, face and back. 

•Spots turn into itchy blisters.  

Extra information 

•The first measles case was recorded in 1757 and was able to be treated in 1954. 

•On average, approximately 90,000 people die from measles yearly. 

•From 2000-2017 an estimated 21.1 million measles deaths were prevented thanks to the MMR vaccine. 

•Early measles looks like flu symptoms. 

Why you should vaccinate!  

Well, first of all, this is common sense, vaccinations aren’t dangerous, in fact they’re the opposite, they are safe, effective, cheap (unless you are substance abusing which isn’t a vaccine and illegal- don't substance abuse, reader(s)). Vaccines can’t cause autism (read further below before arguing) or other things; they only may give you the illness/disease that you’re vaccinating against as the vaccine uses a small dose of whatever you’re vaccinating against – by statistics, it's a very low percentage of people that get the thing they’re vaccinating against. Would you rather use useless, expensive essential oils to try cure a disease when you/someone could’ve gotten a cheap, effective, safe vaccine? Those crystals do nothing, meanwhile if said person got a vaccine, they would’ve gained an immunity to said illness/disease; unless said person was unlucky and part of the minority that got sick after the vaccination(s). Here are some arguments and the truth.: 

Bad argument No.1: There’s no proof that vaccines don’t cause autism 

It’s hard to prove the evidence of absence with this one, however, the American Academy of Pediatrics has released a list of over 40 studies which showed no links whatsoever between autism and vaccines. 

 Bad argument No.2: But one study from England did show a link between autism and vaccines! 

Yes, indeed one did, but that’s only one study did show evidence for this but the person that led this study, Dr. Andre Wakefield, was stripped of his medical license due to the fact that all data that was published in the Lancet in 1998 was false. 

Bad argument #3: “There are lots of anecdotes about children developing autism after being vaccinated...!” 

What? No! Use common sense, anecdotes aren't proof, and there's no reason to believe that vaccines caused the children to become autistic! As scientists put it in a brief and clearly expressed manner, correlation simply doesn't imply the action of causing something, despite the assumption that many parents make. 

To point out how misguided this assumption is, Redditor Jasonp55 posted research showing that organic food sales and autism diagnoses increased at the same rate and time. He pointed out that organic food is no more to blame for rising rates of autism than vaccinations are, despite the similar results. (This was further researched and is not false information). 

Bad argument #4: “It's nobody's business whether my children get vaccinated!” 

 Actually; parents who fail to vaccinate their kids may be jeopardizing the health of other children who are unable to get the vaccine because they are too young or for other reasons. When the number of unvaccinated children rises above a certain point of entry, so-called "herd immunity" is compromised--and preventable diseases get a toehold in it. 

As this is starting to become a “vaccinating or not vaccinating” argument I shall stop here. 

Glossary 

Acetaminophen- an analgesic drug use to treat headaches, arthritis etc., and also to reduce a fever; paracetamol.  

Analgesic- (of a drug) acting to relieve pain/A pain killer (an analgesic drug) 

Drug- A medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced to the body. 

Physiological- relating to the branch of biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts 

  relating to the way in which a living organism or bodily part functions. 

Per capita income- Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.  

Biology- the study of living organisms, divided into many specialized fields that cover their morphology, physiology, anatomy, behaviour, origin, and distribution. 

the physiology, behaviour, and other qualities of a particular organism or class of organisms.     

Plants and animals of a particular area 

Organism- an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form. 

Morphology- the study of the forms of things. 

the branch of biology that deals with the form of living organisms, and with relationships between their structures. 

the study of the forms of words, in particular inflected forms. 

a particular form, shape, or structure. 

Jeopardizing- to put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure 

Correlation- a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things 

the process of establishing a relationship or connection between two or more things. 

quantity measuring the extent of the interdependence of variable quantities. 

interdependence of variable quantities.